My Life...a living Hale

who I am. absorb it.

2012-01-13T15:20:00.000-05:00

there are days that the phrases that come out of my mouth are the ones that used to make me cringe and roll my eyes whenever my mom said them.
there are times I know she's the exact reason why I am so particular about organization, how people are treated, & cleaning.
there are times when we both sport our feelings on our sleeves, but can't seem to comprehend why the other one is taking things so personally.

there are instances in which I can be perfectly happy listening to Ray Charles' greatest hits one minute & then jam out to The Rolling Stones the very next just like my dad did. I appreciate the capacity & influence of music & I know that's something that he often gives me the thumbs up on from up above.
there's not a day that goes by that I don't look in the mirror and notice my big, cabbage patch kid cheeks. and often there are times I wish I could do something about them, but then I wouldn't have the feature that everyone immediately says is undeniable of my dad's.
when I have so much trouble dealing with stress and can't seem to get past my lack of self esteem, that's when I know that I have to be careful because although it was his demise, his addictive personality is running through my veins.

that's who I am. more often than not I enjoy hearing, "gah, you remind me so much of your dad" or "you are your mother's child, there is no doubt about it!" I enjoy hearing it because I know them being in this world allowed me to be here....and that when I made my appearance, I was made up of bits & pieces that this tiny baby had absorbed from both of them...and it's nice knowing no one can ever, ever take that away from me.

the gift of creation is absolutely incredible. people say so often "they are just like sponges" when a person is a small child, but the truth of it is that the sponge is always there....its just the size of it that continues to grow throughout our lifetime. we mimic people when we are young, but we mold ourselves as we go through our adult life. sometimes we absorb admirable qualities and we are useful time & time again to keep things pristine & tidy. other times we attract the grub & grime that allows us to feel as though we should just be tossed out and we start taking out that feeling on those around us. before you know it you start smearing your relationships with others with that grime. no one is perfect. everyone gets discouraged. but like my husband tells me time & time again, "don't dwell on it, move on. you know what you need to do differently now, so do it". I all too often allow rubbish & remnants I've absorbed from bad situations to stick to me as if they are permanent. I think if I've screwed up or failed at A, B, & C before then what would ever possess me to try X, Y, or Z much less give A, B, or C another shot. I'm convinced I can't redeem myself from any mistakes. it's unfortunate that it has taken 27 years for me to realize there's actually still good qualities caked in under the bad ones, but in the same breath I'm glad my husband has been able to help open my eyes to that. and to know I'm with someone who can see past my negative tendencies and tell me that he thinks I am a wonderful person is comfort that I cannot even put into words.

but the best way to look at is that you can knock off those remnants & rinse out all that grunge you've allowed yourself to absorb. show off the things that you've soaked in...those things that people have said time & time again that they've always liked about you. don't carry around the things that make you dull & dingy. and just because you have had shabby experiences or acted crummy does NOT mean you are doomed to always being considered that type of person. make room to absorb life and what it has to offer.

awkward moment monday

2011-11-07T10:46:00.001-05:00

I follow "that awkward moment when..." on Twitter & my wheels began to turn for my own trend.

Friday night brought on that awkward moment while working concessions at a local high school football game and the kid ordering didn't have enough money to cover what he ordered and he stood there just looking at me for about ten seconds and then grabbed the food and dashed. Ummmm....

Saturday I was wearing my University of Alabama ball cap when a cashier stopped between her loud smacks of chomping on her gum to ask, "so, are you like cheering for Alabama in that big game tonight?". The awkwardness presented itself in the form of do I answer her with "no, no, this is just a hat I found on the side of the road and I was having a bad hair day" or "omg, how did you know???"

back with a vengeance

2011-11-04T10:47:00.001-04:00

well, no, not really...I don't have anything to do in retaliation but felt as though that's always the catchphrase for a return.

Wow, June 6th for last post, yikes. Okay let's see here...

July -

awesome vacation

August -
evidently began to neglect my camera
celebrated 2 years of marriage
had a blast on a savannah bachelorette trip

September -
celebrated my 27th birthday
attended 2 fabulous weddings
mom and I mastered the cotton candy assembly line & cranked out wedding favors

October -

festival season was in full swing
marked the 5th year with my job
decided on Bluto & Olive Oyl for halloween costumes

and now here we are with November's chilly temps & determining a date in which it won't seem nuts for me to go ahead and put my Christmas tree up. I am antsy as all get out for the Black Friday ads and to plan my shopping strategy, which may not be as fierce, since we will be in Memphis for Thanksgiving.

as seen on tv testimonials

2011-06-06T14:37:00.000-04:00

Some people have a gift-giving tradition at Christmas. You may always get someone a refill of something you know they love and will use, or you receive something handmade every year from a certain person. Well my hubby gets me an "as seen on TV" product every year. I always go into those stores and want to try out everything, but never end up walking out with a single thing. He and I know as well as everyone else that there's always going to be products that just don't work. You scratch your head and wonder, "how on earth did this ever make it on the shelf?!" BUT I will say that there are a few of these items that I will forever stand by and they have certainly made little things in my life easier.

1. Strap Perfect

Something about racerback shirts and dresses just always, always draws me in. If it's not the pattern I love, it's the color or the fabric or something about it sticks out to me. But when I would take it off the rack and see the back of it knowing I LOATHE strapless bras, I would think, "forget this, my bra straps will hang out." But alas, this simple, number eight-shaped, plastic mechanism found it's way on the market and I quit having to put stuff back on the rack when I really wanted it! They've never broken or allowed my straps to come undone. In fact, the only bad thing that's ever happened has been when I have misplaced them and I think now I am down to only 2. I would highly, highly, highly suggest these to any female!

2. Pasta Boat

The hubby and I both enjoy pasta dishes, but I hated dragging out the big stock pot...waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the water to boil....getting an instant, unwanted facial when I went to drain the noodles....and battling that big pot to fit in the dishwasher. When I got this I was questioning the final outcome. I thought the noodles will still be hard or the water would boil over the top, but no, it was actually perfect! It's dishwasher safe and the little booklet that came with it tells you exactly how much water to put in according to how much pasta you are wanting to make. It doesn't get any easier than this.

3. Handy Switch

Do you have one of those outlets that if you ever need to unplug something or plug it back in, it's just a pain to try and get to? You either have to get down on the ground and stretch your arm and wiggle your fingers to get to it or you end up having to move a piece of furniture to be able to even see the outlet. This comes in handy for me because, well, I'm a little crazy when it comes to Christmas decorations. We have our regular Christmas tree, a mini tree with Florida Gators decorations for myself, a mini tree with Alabama Crimson Tide decorations for the hubs, and then a mini gingerbread tree that sits on our kitchen table. The outlet for the gingerbread tree is behind the kitchen table, so whenever I went to unplug it before we went to bed, I'd have to pull out all the stools from the table and crawl under the kitchen table to reach the plug. Well now I just plus this bad boy into the outlet and then the tree into this plug. I keep the switch hidden behind the tree so that when I'm ready to turn the lights off, I just flip the switch and all is well. Super convenient.

What about you? Any "heck yes" or "no way" experiences with this stuff??

when I was a youngster...

2011-05-11T15:18:00.000-04:00

my mom taught me to say excuse me when I was making my way through a crowd of people rather than step all over them and shove my way through...

I knew better than to talk back to my elders because, here's a shocker, there were conquences...

wearing makeup was the last thing I was worried about...

I knew to treat a homeless person with the same respect in which I'd treat a millionaire...

I didn't have the internet, and if I did, I sure as heck wouldn't be allowed to have a facebook account....

catching lightning bugs and picking little flowers were enough to keep me entertained as opposed to being cruel to animals or being destructive.

I knew when my mom told me to be quiet during a church service or a wedding that she meant business...and if I didn't obey she would ACTUALLY yank me up and discipline me.

I tried to reach high levels on the reading chart at school, not on video game rankings.

my opinion of being sneaky was packing another Little Debbie in my lunch when mom had her back turned, not a loaded gun.

me and my friends wore friendship bracelets, not labels that we gave each other for our flaws.

a generic brand wasn't something that caused your jaw to drop.

photo op

2011-03-30T14:09:00.000-04:00

A girl who works at Jasper's doggy daycare shared these pictures today on Facebook and this biggest smile spread across my face. I am so thankful that this great group of people enjoy him and take the absolute best care of him!

back in the day...

2011-03-22T13:06:00.000-04:00

this post is dedicated to those things that always make me go, "oh my gosh, do you remember........"

(I think it got to the point where my mom dreaded me bringing home scholastic book order forms!)

(what TGIF really meant)

(who could forget Pogs?!? you had those tubes they went it, the thick slammer ones, & the weird shaped ones!)

okay, okay, I'll stop now.

the chopping block

2011-03-16T12:08:00.004-04:00

Every 6 months I enter a waiting room with a book in my purse because I know I'll be sitting there for at least an hour.

My name is called, I rise, and I try to give a smile to the nurse who kindly points me in the direction of the small room I will continue to wait in.

She gives me the ugly, scratchy, paper garment to put on and tells me the doctor will be in just as soon as she can be to talk to me.

I sit there biting my lip and I try to fight off the goosebumps from the frigid room. I scan the room and begin to read those same posters I've read dozens of times that tell me what precautions to take and what the warning signs are.

My mind begins to wander and I start thinking about the trip I will need to make after this visit. The trip to whatever local drug store in order to buy bandages and medicine and dreading of sleeping on my stomach for the next 2 weeks in order to not irritate the stitches.

I notice a full length mirror on the back of the door and stand up and walk towards it. I turn my head over my shoulder and stare at my back in the reflection. I wonder where the new incisions will be, but then quickly give up because I know my guesses are random and are never right. I start looking at my scars and make a mental note to be better about putting scar cream on them. There's 4 of them already and who knows how many more to come...I should concern myself more with making them less visible.

The door knob turns and I jump back and return to my seat on the crunchy paper on the exam table. I'm greeted by a kind face and the comment of "I'd know that back anywhere" in which she tries to break the ice. I try to smile and I mutter, "who doesn't?!". She pulls out whatever that magic little magnifier is called that seems to be able to show her just the right spots in which she needs to cut out and remove skin from my back. It's with the cold touch of that instrument that the dread sinks in, and I wonder where I will soon be chopped.

I recall my last visit in which the words "skin cancer" and "avoid sun exposure" were tossed around like any other nouns or verbs. The last visit in which the SPF numbers she told me to use sounded more like Powerball lottery numbers than anything I'd be able to find on the shelf. I wanted to kick myself over and over for visiting the tanning bed religiously in high school. I wanted to beat my head against a wall while thinking of those times of laying out in the sun while only applying baby oil. What I had done to my body was no better than someone who vandalizes a perfectly good building. You can cover up the damage, but you know that some type of reminder will always be there and there's no telling what might go wrong in the future as a result of that vandalism.

I snap back into the present moment when I hear the words, "I want to see you again in a year". A year? What? "So we aren't cutting anything out today?" I ask. For once, I hear the answer "no, you're good to go" and I suddenly don't even care about the co-pay I always hate handing over at the end of the visit. For once, I'm not handed a sheet on how to take care of my incisions....I don't think about stopping to get bandages...I don't think about how I can't walk my enormous dog because the stitches would pull....I don't think of how I have to tell my husband to be careful when he goes to hug me....in fact, I don't think at all. I simply tell her she has made my day and leave that doctor's office with a huge weight off of my shoulders.

Now I'm not stupid, I know some of you are thinking, "I've had that done before, it's really not that bad" and you think I'm blowing this out of proportion. Well to be honest, I don't care if that's what you think. No one can tell ME what I felt when I was laying there being cut on or what emotions flooded ME when the doctor told me how I needed to take this seriously. But what I do care about is making people aware of what they are doing every time they crawl in that tanning bed...and what they're doing every time they allow their skin to get a little too red at the pool...and what they're doing when they're not worried about the ocean washing off all that sunscreen they just put on.

I don't want anyone to ever have to hear that basically their skin is a train wreck. I don't want anyone to cry in their car after they leave their dermatologist appointment because you left there with a dozen stitches that you weren't expecting and you're scared that even putting your shirt on in the morning will cause you to stretch just a little too much. I don't want anyone's first wedding anniversary night to entail asking your significant other to change your bandages.

Just like they make medicine for a reason, they make sunscreen for a reason. Don't worry, you'll still get a tan, but you're being responsible about it. You'll look in the mirror 30 years from now and thank yourself.

this was only a test

2011-03-10T15:07:00.001-05:00

Ever woke up one morning and felt like from the second your feet hit the floor that the day was gonna push you to your limits and test you to see if you lose your cool?? Ladies & gentlemen, I present to you....today.

I woke up this morning with the instant feeling of not enough sleep and thought, "it CANNOT already be time to get up" accompanied by the twinge of a migraine lingering in my temple.

I then proceeded to get out of the shower and realize I had practically nothing clean in terms of work clothes.

I glanced at the clock and realized I wouldn't have enough time to put my makeup on before work.

I unlocked and swung open the door to find that Jasper and I would be trotting out to the car in a steady rainfall. As we drive the rain proceeds to begin pounding on the windshield just as I switch my wipers off and I swear to you, as soon as I bump them up to high, it merely begins to mist.

I dropped him off at doggy daycare and got to the parking garage at work only to find the only spots left were on the roof....(for further info on my frustration with the roof parking spots, see above where I indicated steady rainfall.)

As I was walking in the door to the courthouse, an officer looked at me, cocked his head to the side and asked me, "you okay today?". As I breezed past him I muttered, "I just don't have my makeup on yet....."

At this point I am thinking, "alright Negative Nancy, enough with all the bad, make this a good day".

I woke up exhausted this morning, but hey, I woke up to live to see another day...not to mention I woke up with a roof over my head and in a warm bed.

I woke up with a migraine, but there are people who woke up this morning with cancer. Suck it up self.

I noticed I barely had any clean dress clothes to choose from, but I have clothes to put on my back.

I realized I didn't have time to put on makeup....but there are women in cultures who aren't even allowed to show their faces and here I am moaning and groaning that I can't put powders and liners on at that very second.

I let out sighs every time the rain did the opposite of what I set my wipers to take care of...but I have a car that gets me everywhere I need to be while there are people who cannot come and go as they please or even run necessary errands because they don't have a car.

I became frustrated when the officer looked at me a little funny b/c of the no makeup and asked if I was okay when I walked into work...but he took the time and made the effort to even ask, not to mention I was walking into my place of employment when I know they are so many people desperately looking for jobs in these hard economic times.

It's called a silver lining folks, and we all need to look for it a little more often.

they said it best when they said....

2011-02-15T21:13:00.004-05:00

"Life is a ticket to the greatest show on earth."
--Martin H. Fischer

I realize this a little bit more each and every day...

Nothing is better than the love between a husband a wife, voicemails and texts from friends who make you laugh like no one else on this planet, a sunset on a patio with your best 4-legged friend, & knowing every little nagging thing is gonna be alright.

tunnel vision

2011-02-08T11:07:00.000-05:00

Despite the fact that this picture of me should be placed in the dictionary for the definition of, "a train wreck", I just love, love, love this little boy!!!!!

And apparently, I was pretty entertained with this tunnel!

who's that playing in parker's little tunnel.....

it's me...it's me....(haha, had to make that SNL reference)

But I finally decided to stop hogging the toys and let him have the fun...

is that not the most precious face you have ever seen?!?!???

"listen lady, it's time for you to get out of my tunnel!"

Nothing like pot roast, cupcakes, and play time with this little love to make a perfect ending to a day!

refreshed

2011-01-26T15:55:00.003-05:00

Guilty. Guilty of not noticing all the changes that were now available to edit everything with my blog. But I discovered them, made changes, and am officially putting a sign up at my desk that simply says "BLOG" to remind me to take some time every day to vent, write, babble, etc.

Sunshine is coming through my office window and I couldn't be happier. Yesterday's dreariness wore on me terribly. I have spring fever like it's nobody's business. I am ready to read chapter upon chapter in my hammock, throw dinner on the grill every other night, enjoy afternoons at the dog park, and hang out until the sun goes down on our patio...gosh, how I miss hanging out on our patio. The few times we are actually outside lately, we are in layers of clothing, and gloves & standing oh so close to the patio heater waiting for Jasper to find that perfect spot to make his mark.

In the spring and summer, Skye and I spend countless hours in the afternoons and on the weekends in our lawn chairs at the dog park. We talk about anything and everything and laugh about pretty much everything as we watch our dogs run around as if they've never been off a leash before...and in that moment I'm convinced they are the happiest 4-legged friends on this planet.

I love walking to places downtown to grab lunch while I am at work, but I refuse to do so in this bitterly cold weather. I can't seem to get enough of Subway sandwiches during the warmer weather and often can't tell myself not to stop by this little corner restaurant for soft serve ice cream.

"People-watching" from the patios of downtown restaurants with an ice cold drink and good company is one of my absolute favorites. Those are the times when the servers practically know us by name and 9 times out of 10, already know what we want to order. We don't seem to have a care in the world except for maybe where we'll make room for the next chair to be pulled up. The ever so comfortable maxi dresses, sunglasses, Lookouts games, flip flops, oh how I want it all right now!

Until then I'll simply just push back the cover to my sunroof as opposed to opening it all the way and anxiously await all that sunshine!

soup lovers

2011-01-19T11:20:00.002-05:00

I'm a loud & proud soup lover. We could probably eat it 5 out of 7 days a week. I gave this a shot last night and it was absolutely amazing. There's nothing I love more on a cold & rainy night than being in my favorite sweatshirt and pj pants, having a hearty soup on the stove, and laughing with my hubby to the right of me while my big puppy dog cuddles with the left of me.

Homemade Sausage Potato Soup

1 pound of sausage

4 potatoes

1 32 oz. box of chicken broth

1 can of corn

3 carrots

1 clove garlic, minced (we always have a jar of minced garlic, so I used one tsp.)

1/2 tsp onion powder (if you don't have any, I suggest getting some and not leaving it out...gives GREAT flavor)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 cups of milk

1 cup of shredded cheese

In a pan, brown the sausage. While the sausage is cooking, or even beforehand, peel and dice the potatoes and carrots. Remember that the smaller the dicing, the faster it will cook, so if you are pressed for time, cut up the veggies smaller and it won't have to boil for as long. Drain the sausage and set aside for later.

In a stock pot, combine the chicken broth, potatoes, celery, carrots and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender - 20 minutes or so. Now at this point, I add the corn. I find it gets a little mushy if I add it with the other veggies. Then I add the milk, cheese and sausage. Cook and stir over low heat until the cheese is melted and the soup is heated through.

some serious catching up to do...

2011-01-11T11:38:00.000-05:00

but here's an overview until then....

my reappearing act

2010-12-02T15:03:00.002-05:00

So I've been toggling with the idea of deleting my blog. I just didn't feel as thought my life had anything exciting and appealing to offer any followers/readers. It's similar to the feeling I get when people ask me, "so, how are things??" & I always respond good...married life is good, the dog is good, friends and family are good, still truckin' along with my job.... booooooring.

I got discouraged when I wasn't seeing comments or more followers, but then I thought, well, I am not commenting or following anyone in the daily way that I used to, so I needed to stop complaining.

So here goes...a second shot....and I will try oh, so hard not to become discouraged or burnt out.

One thing I have been doing a lot of lately is cooking. I was telling my hubby the other night that we have come a long way from shake-n-bake chicken and bags of flavored instant potatoes. Now don't get me wrong, I am perfectly content with a dinner of those, but I started to be a little brave...and not be intimidated with recipes that had an ingredient list longer than...four or five items, ha! And now if I don't feel like using something, I won't, and if I want to add something in, I do it. I will never learn unless I try and I have discovered that I actually enjoy doing it!

I made this soup a couple of weeks ago and we loved it!

Chicken Tortellini Soup

9 oz. pkg. frozen cut broccoli, thawed
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can condensed cream of chicken soup
Parmesan, grated (optional)
6 1/2 c. water
3 (10 oz.) cans chicken broth
2 c. chicken, cooked and cubed
1 c. carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
7 oz. pkg. cheese tortellini

(it also called for onion, basil, and oregano..but I left those out)

In large pot combine water, chicken broth, soup, chicken, carrots, & garlic. Bring to a boil; add tortellini.Simmer covered 30 minutes. Add broccoli and simmer an additional 5 - 10 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Serve with cheese. Ten (1 1/2 cup) servings.

So that'll be all for today...short and to the point, but hey, it's an effort :)

2 treats and a trick

2010-11-03T12:12:00.000-04:00

Halloween consisted of:

and

Jasper goes to doggy daycare around 2 or 3 days a week and they had a costume day on the Friday of Halloween weekend. When I dropped him off, it was entertaining to see what others were dressing their pooches as and it was funny to see the looks and laughs we got and we saddled up and went inside!

Friday night our friend Skye had a fabulous Halloween party! Her house was decorated so creatively and there was definitely an array of costumes. Just like we always do, we waited until just a few days before Halloween to go get costumes...I wasn't too thrilled with being Wilma Flintstone at first with my Casper-like complexion since I'd be sporting a white outfit, but as we started getting ready the laughs started and I just went with it. I was satisfied with our choice and only wished we could have found a Dino costume for Jasper!

We found a cyst on Jasper's bottom lip this past weekend and he had it surgically removed on Monday. We are waiting on the results of the biopsy to see if this was just a random spot that showed up for some odd reason or if it could be canine oral cancer which I had never heard of and should have NEVER come home and googled. Just send good vibes and thoughts our way because I need my little mini-horse to be around for as long as possible!

all knotted up

2010-10-19T20:32:00.000-04:00

For the past several months I have had pain in my neck that seems to be coming from a knot on the back right side of my neck...and that knot triggers pain that shoots to my right temple. Rubbing/massaging the knot doesn't seem to help...in fact it almost makes the pain that shoots to my temple even worse. I thought perhaps our pillows needed to be tossed, so I went out and bought new pillows. No solution. I thought I was sleeping on my neck wrong, so I started sleeping on my back. No solution. Tylenol, Aleve, Advil, you name it and I tried taking it during the day and before I went to sleep and even if I had to get up in the middle of the night for the bathroom, drink, etc. I would take some. Still no solution.

One day at work I was almost to the point of tears and made a doctor's appointment. I was finally starting to think something would change. I explained to her that there was a ping pong sized knot in my neck and that the pain it was causing not only in my neck, but in my head as well, was starting to be unbearable. She jotted down some notes and told me that it was just muscles that were tense in my neck (while NOT even feeling the knot) and that they were tension headaches caused by stress. I will admit, there are days that my job stresses me out, but those days aren't stressful enough to be causing this constant pain. She wrote 2 different prescriptions and gave me a chiropractor's business card and peace out, holla, she was gone. I sat there REALLY hoping that this knot is not something serious, seeing as though it's as the base of my skull and she didn't bother to examine it, and hoped for the best with the prescriptions. Well that hope was crushed when it crushed my wallet and all the pills did were make me sleepy. $81 dollars later and still hurting is where I am. I am hesitant to go to a chiropractor because I'm concerned that any pain I have from here on out will require a visit to them.

Can anyone shed any light on any similar experiences with these pains or any results/visits with chiropractors?? I'm open for any suggestions whatsoever!

they have a passion, yet we label them.

2010-10-19T11:40:00.001-04:00

One thing that I have seen consistently throughout life is that when someone has a passion for something, they seemed to be labeled as result of that passion. These labels often include: nerds, extremists, freaks, weirdos, and you can come up with some you've heard or witnessed yourselves. I am guilty of this labeling crime and it hasn't been until recently that things have been put into perspective....and I've stopped and asked myself, "who am I to judge?"

You know, if magic/sci-fi books allow someone to enjoy an evening to themselves by just reading and having some popcorn, then it does NOT mean they're a nerd....if someone quotes bible verses in their facebook status or has one in their email signature, it does NOT mean they're a religion extremist....if someone enjoys a certain style of music, relates to the lyrics, and paints their fingernails black, it does NOT mean they're a freak. Don't let anyone ever criticize you for what truly brings a smile to your face....don't let others point and laugh because they don't understand your hobby/interest.....don't ever allow yourself to feel ashamed because you are a needle in a haystack.

In my case, most people will never understand that when I've had a bad day and I break down in tears, a wet nose nudging my buried face can instantly slow down those tears. In my case, most people will never understand why animal abuse cases literally make my stomach turn and cause my heart to hurt. In my case, I will always hear, "but why? they're just dogs" accompanied with the "she's one of those" that they mutter under their breath. In my case, I got the eye rolling when a college assignment was to make a documentary and I made mine on the dire need for spaying and neutering while videoing the forgotten faces inside my local humane society. But that's my case...and if people are going to label me, I'm proud to wear that label.

I am a living, breathing, contributing member to society. I donate money to my local food bank, I donate stacks of clothes to Goodwill, but I just so happen to feel as though my purpose and calling is through helping animal shelters/rescues & less fortunate animals. I find it unfair for anyone to judge me because I'm unable to shrug it off and not let it bother me when I see a stray dog running through a parking lot...or unfair for anyone to judge me because the links I share on facebook are powerful stories of people who haved saved these 4-legged lives. When I realize a person isn't an animal person, I don't shrug them off by any means, I understand it's not for everyone. But man, is it sure hard for some not to shrug me off.

The way I see it is at least I wake up each and every day with a passion for something. At least I know there's something that will allow me to feel as though I can make a difference. At least I know when I help out, hungry dogs are being fed and sick dogs are being nursed back to health. At least I know that someone, somewhere is smiling when they adopt that dog that was saved from being euthanized and that 4-legged soul will bring them many memories for the years to come.

So perhaps maybe we should turn those labels into positive traits. Instead of nerdy....try intellectual. Instead of extremist....try faithful. Instead of freak....try free spirit.

I'm proud to be a needle in a haystack. And so is he....

cotton candy, school buses, & yard sales

2010-09-30T13:27:00.002-04:00

There are people in life that you always have connections with for certain things....like, "oh I know a guy who works at such & such and can get you a discount" or "let me ask around with some people I know, I know that one of them will know how to get it done..." Well, I am learning what I have to offer as connections...they're random, but they have proved to come in handy.

1.) Cotton Candy: and it doesn't stop at just that...that just seems to be the most requested item. With Male Hale's concession/food vendor business of *Fun Time Foods* we have been the "go-to" people for friends who are helping out with school and church carnivals, friends/family members with children's birthday parties, etc. We even decided that cotton candy would be something that people would see and say, "oh that's SO them!" and used it for one of our wedding favors!

photo courtesy of happily ever after

We've made candy apples for several people as their wedding favors and and also set up shaved ice at various functions. I absolutely love the feeling of knowing we have helped someone out so much at the last minute and we've been able to provide something that may be everyday business to us, but is an out of the ordinary treat for others.

2.) School Buses: My father-in-law owns his own school bus and drives for our local county's schools, and also transports various football teams for their games, drives students for field trips, and uses his bus to shuttle people during our county fair. A friend asked me last week if there was any way she and a group of friends could rent a school bus for an evening. I read her text and thought to myself, out of all the times I've heard him talking about having a bus trip, I had never even thought about that! She and a large group of friends were going to a wedding atop a windy-roaded mountain here in town and they wanted some safe transportation for the evening and she thought to ask me. Turns out it is possible and a driver was more than willing to accept the offer! I was so glad it worked out and no one in that group would have to worry about how they were going to get to where they needed to be afterwards!

3.) Yard Sales: To say I like having yard sales would be an understatement, I LOVE having yard sales. You throw a couple of signs up and find yourself with extra cash and less clutter! Imagine the letter H....the two lines that make up the sides of the H are 2 extremely busy roads and the street I live on is the little line in the middle of the H...aka the motherland for yard sales. Several weekends ago, I had 4 friends team up with me for a yard sale at my house because I'm always up for having one and I'm always promising the friends that they'll have a good crowd. From 8-1 we chatted with people, rearranged our items, haggled over prices, and rolled our eyes at some who were convinced we were robbing them blind by asking 50 cents for something. In the end, a good time was had by all and no one was complaining about the amount of $ they went home with. So now more and more of my friends are realizing when they start gathering stuff together and begin to wonder what they're going to do with it, they think of my little street and all that traffic that will see our signs.

about me:

2010-09-22T11:11:00.001-04:00

That section is always on profiles, surveys, etc. I got to looking at that section on my FB profile and this is how it reads:

I honestly love my life. I am married to an incredible guy who makes me happier than I could ever, ever express through words. Making people laugh is one of my favorites along with getting flowers and a good, long nap. I’m a little too obsessed with birthdays and if I find out your address, watch out because I love sending cards year-round. I black and white pictures a little too often and I'm convinced Great Danes are the best dogs ever. If it wasn’t considered insane, I’d start decorating for Christmas as soon as fall rolled around if I’m not too busy cheering for the Gators. I feel confident that I could eat Mexican food every day of the week and I live for road trips. Rain and drama can ruin a perfectly good day, as well as a crappy season finale that you’ve waited so long for. I’ll never learn to unpack as soon as I get home and you’ll always find me running in the opposite direction of birds and clowns. Keep your feet away from me and don’t lie to me & we will get along just fine!

We put so much thought into what we cram into that little section that sums us up. But I stopped to think what people would never learn from reading my about me section.....

(Making people laugh is one of my favorites)...but when I can't make people laugh, it makes me extremely uncomfortable...I seek humor as a way of fitting in.

(I black and white pictures a little too often)....because sometimes it's the only way I can look at a picture of myself and not hate the appearance of an extremely pale girl who has ruined her chances of ever being able to safely be in the sun.

(drama can ruin a perfectly good day)....and I am all too responsible for that drama from time to time.

(I’ll never learn to unpack as soon as I get home)...maybe because I'm surrendering to being back to the grind and having to deal with weekly trials and tribulations, when all I really want is to be away again.

(I’d start decorating for Christmas as soon as fall rolled around)...even though Christmas is always a time when I miss my dad so, so much. He filmed every Christmas morning until he passed away...I can still hear his laugh in my head. I still sit and watch those videos sometimes and smile, laugh, and cry all at the same time.

I just found it interesting that there was a counterpart for the things I so easily put out there to tell people about me.

Late Labor Day

2010-09-16T14:20:00.000-04:00

but all in all, a perfect day.....

oh lovely Fall, where art thou?

2010-09-07T13:24:00.000-04:00

It is just about that time to break out the crockpot and start making stews, chili, & pot roast with veggies.

It is just about that time where I need a light sweater every day and can start wearing boots.

It is just about that time for the county fair, kettle corn, & ribbon fries.

It is just about that time for me to turn 26......sheesh.

It is just about that time to go through my decorations and get out the pumpkins, turkeys, and pilgrims.

It is just about that time when I can actually start finding mixes to make cider.

I could ramble on and on, but I think you get the picture that I am ready for....

Made it to the top 10! Help me w/ a vote!

2010-08-20T15:33:00.001-04:00

Ok fellow bloggers, I am in need of some help! I advanced to the top 10 in the photo contest I entered with a local radio station and need your vote to help me reach the top! Just follow the link below and be sure to enter your email address in order for the vote to count. I am picture number 10 when it asks for your favorite photo. They won't send you any emails as long as you check "no" to receiving promos, concert announcements, etc. Follow the link below and cast your vote! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!!

http://kisschattanooga.clearcontests.com/front/OpenContest.asp?Action=Login&SurveyID=86504&zx=620

home again, home again, jiggity jig

2010-08-19T12:56:00.000-04:00

Well, the time came just like it always does, to return to normal everyday life. With our bags a little heavier and our pockets a little lighter, we would soon be back in the South.

We got home that night and could hear Jasper the second we got in the driveway because he definitely had heard us. I opened the door to a very excited pooch and proceeded to take him to take backyard where I immediately noticed something different. We bought a new patio set several months back so we could accommodate more people when friends came to visit, but we said we'd wait on buying the big umbrella that went with the set. Well lo, and behold, there was our matching umbrella with a card taped to it and I instantly knew that my mom (who housesits and dogsits for us) was responsible for this anniversary surprise! As I was saying "oh my gosh, look honey, look" she came out the door with a big smile on her face. What can I say...she's pretty much the best!

She had set out our wedding cake topper to defrost so we could eat some for the traditional first anniversary ...and I have to admit, it really wasn't that bad. A little freezer burnt, but I expected that.

I should have known better...
There's almost an identical pic
of this on our wedding day

I couldn't resist!

And as for those stuffed animals we won at Circus Circus...

Our First Wedding Anniversary

2010-08-17T14:48:00.004-04:00

was definitely one for the books! We woke up that morning, well late morning, got ready and headed out for lunch at Pink's.

It's a famous hot dog shop that started in Los Angeles. When we walked in, there was a wall to the right of signed pictures of celebrities who had visited there and some of the variations of hot dogs were named after them. There was a Kim Kardashian dog, a Holly Madison dog, and my selection, the Mel B (taking it back to the spice girls) hot dog. This selection had chili, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, guacamole, and jalapenos and for a girl who loves toppings and condiments, it was right up my alley!

From there we set out to visit Madame Tussaud's wax museum at The Venetian. The camera flashes really do take away from the statues, because when you're standing there looking at them, they honestly look as though they could come alive at any point! Here's just a few pictures from our visit...

Me with Justin Timberlake

The Rock is the one on the right :)

the mayor of Las Vegas and 2 showgirls

maybe he was meant to be w/ George Clooney

our Jerry Springer moment

We were going to see Blue Man Group that night.

After we were finished at the museum, we met up with one of our friends who went to high school with Male Hale who happened to be in Vegas the same time we were....small world, huh? We gambled with him for a bit and agreed we'd hang out later that night, but only after our celebratory dinner and show of course :)

Before we left Aria to go to dinner, we gave each other cards. His anniversary present was a new Xbox, but he got it about 2 weeks early because his completely bit the dust. A new model recently came out and I knew I wanted to get it for him...because even when his old one was still functioning, I had heard how much better this one would be. I didn't want him to go out and get one, so he was really surprised to come home one night before the trip and move a blanket off of his chair to find that box under it! I asked him repeatedly to tell me something else so I would have something to give him on the actual date, but he told me that he loved his gift and didn't care if it was early and not to bother with anything else. To my surprise when he slid my card towards me, there was a small white jewelry box with it. I honestly felt as though the vacation was a big enough gift and he knows how I am about greeting cards, and how much I love them, so that was all I expected. I opened the box and found...

I couldn't believe it. An additional band, I was elated. I slid it on my finger and looked at the guy I unconditionally love and felt like the luckiest girl alive to be with someone who makes me so incredibly happy, to be on a trip that we both had always hoped to take, and to know that I had the rest of my life to not only cherish these memories, but make oh so many more!

He had made reservations at Tao which was an incredible Asian restaurant in The Venetian. I absolutely love asian soups, sushi, cuisine, etc. This is a summary I pulled from the website.

"TAO Las Vegas, located in the Grand Canal Shoppes in The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, is Las Vegas' hottest restaurant and lounge, all under one roof. Considered to be one of the best restaurants in Las Vegas, TAO Asian Bistro blends great food, music, and people-watching to create the hippest "vibe dining" in town. TAO Las Vegas is frequented by celebrities on a regular basis, such as Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson, Tommy Lee, Britney Spears, Jamie Foxx, Janet Jackson, Bono, and Madonna. The Pan-Asian cuisine of TAP, which is prepared by Master Chefs, is coveted the world over."

The setting was dimly-lit, romantic, and posh all wrapped into one. We kept an eye out for those celebrities, but sadly, no sightings to report! We then headed over to the Blue Man Group Theatre that was also located in The Venetian. We gave the gentleman our tickets and he replied, "Umm, I'm sorry these tickets say Saturday August 7th". Um, say whaaaat? We had specifically told the concierge 2 days before that our anniversary was on the 8th and we needed tickets for a show on the 8th. My mind was already going 100 miles an hour of what I'd like to say to her but we were then directed to someone who was much more attentive and understanding and breezed past that error!

waiting for the show to start

afterwards in the lobby of The Venetian

We weren't allowed to take pictures during the show, but I don't think my knee ever stopped bouncing or some part of me wasn't moving in my seat! The way they are able to play their own material, and even songs that you and I both know, on things such as drain pipes to making neon paint rise and fall with every strike of their paddles, it was definitely a sight to see.

We took full advantage our last night in this non-stop city! It poured down rain just before we went into dinner and when we came out of the show, the temperature had dropped to honestly what felt like the 70s. We didn't break a sweat when we walked out, our shoes weren't melting to the pavement, so we walked...and we walked...and we walked....we saw so much that night! And when I say we took full advantage, I mean we were climbing into bed as the sun was beginning to rise. You can always sleep on a plane, but this was Vegas baby! I hated to see the trip come to an end, but so glad that we were there for a special occasion and I loved watching the hubby just become overwhelmed with sights and sounds as soon as we stepped out that first day on the strip.

Vegas - Day 2!

2010-08-15T12:48:00.000-04:00

I have been to Vegas twice before. Once when I was 7 or so, when my dad was still alive, and again for my 21st birthday. When I went when I was younger, we stayed at Circus Circus. While one parent was gambling, another was with me since I wasn't allowed in the gambling area. I vividly remember playing all those midway games with my dad and ending up with so many stuffed animals we honestly had no clue how we could pack them in order to take them home! My dad was one of those guys who cannot stand to lose, so if he didn't win the first time, he'd keep on until he could hand me that oversized pig or monkey and see the excitement in my face. Needless to say, I wanted to revisit Circus Circus and see if it was still the same. It took me back about 18 years when I saw that it was!

Me trying to hook a ring on top of a coke bottle

Knocking over some milk bottles

with a few of our winnings :)

caught him in a great pose...this one resulted in the biggest prize

Later that night we experienced a horrible mexican restaurant...which I couldn't believe even existed! I am obsessed with mexican food, but was extremely disappointed in this place. But our night quickly got better when we discovered a nightclub called "The Mix" on the 64th floor of Mandalay Bay. This place had an amazing atmosphere and an unbelievable view!

from the balcony area

we're a little hung up on self portraits

Next we moved on to Luxor which is the big pyramid in the background. I didn't take any pictures in there, except these two which just show how much more energy the hubby has than me into the wee hours!

I am throwing in the towel

He's still witty as ever and
wanting to be a pharoah guard

Adjusting to the 3 hour time difference was no challenge for him and by this time I knew I had to get it together! My next entry will be Day 3, our actual anniversary, and it was definitely my favorite day! Hope I'm keeping you entertained :)

that's what you get for waking up in Vegas! Day 1

2010-08-14T09:58:00.002-04:00

365 days of love, tears, budgeting bills, folding clothes, washing dishes, lazy mornings, romantic nights, road trips, knockdown dragouts, endless laughter and I wouldn't trade this first year of marriage for anything in the world!

We set out last Friday for our anniversary trip to Las Vegas! And after about 4 hours of flying we looked out the window and saw...

(granted the strip doesn't look cool from afar in the daytime, but we still got antsy!)

I kept telling him that there were even slot machines right where we would enter inside the airport...and he thought that was such an unbelievable thing. I mean how are all those people on delayed flights gonna kill their time? Needless to say, I didn't waste any time...

We then headed to baggage claim where we saw the tiniest man holding a sign that said "Hale" who proceeded to talk about jumping out of planes the entire time we waited for our bags. He was such a tiny guy he couldn't even carry our oversized bag! We watched him drag it for 5 seconds before the hubby stepped in and threw it up on his shoulder and gave me one of those "is he serious!?" looks. When we got outside, little man directed us towards our limo and we were headed to the heart of it all! I thought we would have been headed out in a cab, but he kept telling me how he wanted to make this trip special :)

I had told him all along that I didn't want to know where we were staying so I could be surprised....and well, as we were pulling up, heck, I still didn't know where we were staying! I had never seen this place when I had been to Vegas before, yet I could tell we were on the strip. Our hotel was called Aria and it had just been completed in December. We were between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo and this is a picture I pulled from the internet of what it looks like.

These rooms would make you never want to get out of bed or the bathroom, haha! The room was surrounded by curtains that would all pull back at the touch of a button. From the tub or the bed or the living room area, we had an incredible view of what all was going on.

The touchscreen controls on the nightstand for curtains, temperature, tv, etc.

This was the toilet area...and that control pad definitely says "rear cleansing" and "front cleansing" as options!

Our tub

Our living room at night (sorry, it's blurry)

Living Room

Ok, ok, sorry, I got stuck on the room! We set out to walk around and I am telling you it was HOT! Our flip flops were sticking to the sidewalk...no lie! There wasn't any humidity, but it was such a dry hot heat. I felt like the city had a heater turned on and pointing towards us.

On our way to check out the MGM Grand

In front of the lion exhibit at MGM

"I put a dollar in, I won a car. I put a dollar in, I won a car."
- Vegas Vacation

First night out - this one is in Bellagio's flower garden

Bellagio's fountain and light show

right after the show with
Paris' eiffel tower in the background

We went out after this to a nightclub, but this seems to be the only goofy picture I snapped....

Haha! Giving our kisses to Vegas! Day 2: Circus Circus and exploring more nightlife to come....

Contest! I'd love to have your help!!

2010-08-13T11:15:00.004-04:00

Hey guys!

I entered a photo in Kiss FM's Kiss Your Summer Goodbye contest and would really appreciate your vote! It's a free vote and I would love to win one last trip to the beach! The prize also comes with a tanning package and since I can't tan, I'd be more than happy to give it away to someone!

Follow this link.http://kisschattanooga.clearcontests.com/front/OpenContest.asp?Action=Login&SurveyID=85744&zx=620

Last time I checked I was number 8 in the pictures, but if I'm not the picture is of me sitting down in a boat kissing a bottle of sunscreen! Because after all, the contest is Kiss Your Summer Goodbye! THANK YOU!!

When I said the word britches...

2010-07-30T11:39:00.000-04:00

our Northern friends just about had a cow! We were at the rehearsal dinner and a friend had a tear in her pants..I picked up my glass, took a sip, and casually said "well girl, looks like you ripped your britches..." and you could have heard a pin drop! Then the laughter began and from then on we let the good times roll!

Our friends met in NY where they were going to college and majoring in music. She went on to receive her Master's in music at the University of Alabama and he continued his education in Germany where he received his Master's in music as well. They are both amazing musicians and in the middle of their reception they surprised their friends and family got up with the band and played a couple of songs with them. It was such a unique thing to do! I've heard them play individually, but never together.

Their reception lasted 6 hours, so needless to say the next day we were not looking forward to waking up and heading to the airport. When they get home from their honeymoon, they will be living so close to us and I am really looking forward to that!

I'll take books made into movies for 200, alex.

2010-07-22T15:04:00.000-04:00

My jaw just about dropped when I read this article....

http://www.onlocationvacations.com/2010/07/21/robert-pattinson-headed-to-chattanooga-tn-to-film-scenes-for-water-for-elephants/comment-page-1/

I loved the book

It was so well-written and I could envision each character and each scene that came with turn of the pages.

This movie will star Robert Pattinson, Sean Penn, & Reese Witherspoon....which translates into oh yes, heck yes, and woo-hoo!!

I finished "The Help" and can honestly say it's probably one of my favorite books now. It is being filmed this summer and I can't wait for a girls night with my book club girls to go see it! I know we'll end up seeing "Water for Elephants" too.

We head out early in the morning for our friends' wedding in Massachusetts, where the lows for Friday and Saturday are 68 and 72....I will take that all day long! I dread packing tonight and waking up so early tomorrow, but look forward to a getaway with my husband considering we work such opposite schedules these days.

Have a great Thursday!

summer breeze....makes me feel fine...wait, it doesn't exist.

2010-07-19T15:45:00.000-04:00

I used to wish and wish for summer to be here.....it meant days on the lake, beach vacations, pina colada shaved ice, & all that jazz. And now it seems to just result in one thing for me, SWEAT! I am not a dainty sweater....I don't dew, or slightly glisten....I am a full-fledged, face turns beet-red, don't wanna sit on a patio, walking around the block can soak my shirt, sweater. I envy the chicks who can lay out at the pool and merely have to wipe their brow just a time or two. Male Hale has even made the comment of, "wow, you are like pouring sweat over there." Turn your nose up if you must, but let's face it, there are some of us that do exist!

Needless to say, I am ready for the leaves to be changing, a pot of chili to be cooking, SEC football to be showing on 4 or 5 channels, & lower temperatures :) And poor Jasper...me, oh my, the pitiful pooch looks as though he'll have a heat stroke if he stays outside for too long. What seems to be a foot long tongue just hangs out of his mouth while he just pants and pants. I took him to a local walking track last week like I do quite often and when there's no one else there, I don't use his leash. He'll venture out just a few feet in front of me, but always turns around to make sure I'm still there...such a good boy! We typically go a mile and at this point we hadn't even made it to the half a mile marker when he just stopped dead in his tracks. I hoped that he didn't see something and take off, because his pops wasn't with us and he can herd him back in a lot easier than I can! After he stopped, he looked up at me....looked back at where the car was parked...looked up at me again...and took off for the car! Haha, he sat there waiting patiently until I got back to him and right then and there I knew that our mile journeys would definitely have to be put on pause.

short & to the point

2010-07-16T14:49:00.000-04:00

This is the book that my book club has chosen for this month and I am singing it's praises...even though I am not even halfway through it :)

I highly suggest it!

I have a busy weekend and am really looking forward to it! Enjoy yours! Happy Friday! :)

Elephant Love

2010-07-15T15:44:00.000-04:00

I love elephants....

and these tees are GREAT!

boo for tropical storms & thumbs up for seafood

2010-07-10T19:31:00.000-04:00

Well one week later I feel as though I just might be 100% recovered from our vacation! Our drive down to FL and our drive back home were both from about midnight till 7am. Needless to say I was NOT driving! I was a trooper and kept male Hale company the entire drive down to Florida. Jamming out to songs we both love and having those random, yet sometimes, ever so meaningful conversations are some of the times I absolutely love spending with him!

Our first two days at the beach consisted of just the two of us hanging out in the beautiful sunshine, lounging by the pool, walking on the beach, and enjoying the nightlife.

As you can see, no oil, tar balls, or anything of that nature!

Night 1

Our second night was spent at Tootsie's which is a popular place in Nashville, TN as well. We lucked out and found a great table outside where we could hear the band perfectly and could people-watch until the cows came home :) Disregard the fact that I'm standing like Quasimodo and we have no clue what he has on his shorts!

On our third day his family joined us...and so did the rain. We watched the news before we left home and heard about Tropical Storm Alex and were worried we'd suffer from clouds and rain. The rest of the day the sun seemed to play peek-a-boo with the clouds and we were still able to catch some rays.

Never a dull moment....

The rain came in full force for the next couple of days so we spent time in the hot tub, arcades, shops, and what else but...eating!

At an amazing steakhouse called Angelo's. I literally waddled out of there!

Captain Anderson's - saved the best for last...the stuffed shrimp are to die for!

Before we set out for Captain Anderson's, our sweet nephew cuddled up with his uncle and was determined to share his milk with him!

Later on that evening Daniel and I spent some time together while his mom rode go-karts. I always seem to end up wearing a dress on go-kart night and it just makes for an awkward scene trying to get in and out!

He cracks me up....he can just say a few words right now like mommy, ball, dog, etc. but when he starts gabbing in his own little languare you can tell he wants to carry on a conversation with you so badly! I definitely bonded with that little man during this vacation.

We left to come home right after this and I can't say I was much of a companion on the ride home! There wasn't a cup of coffee big enough to keep me awake. When we pulled in our driveway, my mom was in our backyard taking Jasper out to potty. I took one step out of the car and he bolted towards me and stood on his hind legs to greet me, haha! I am so lucky to have a mom that loves 4-legged creatures as much as I do and never hesitates to dog-sit when we go out of town.

In 2 weeks we'll head in the complete opposite direction and head to Massachusetts for a wedding for 2 great friends! You dare me to order a sweet tea?!

dear beach, be there soon...xoxo

2010-06-24T14:17:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow evening the hubby and I are leaving for Florida. I cannot wait! On Monday, some of his family will join us, but he was so thoughtful to book us an extra two days for some "us" time! I look forward to walking on the beach with him, having delicious dinners, & finding those great cover bands we always seem to find! We haven't stopped thinking about it all week. What I wish I could stop thinking about are the MOUNDS of laundry that quietly await my attention at home! It seems as though everything we want to take just happens to be in the dirty clothes.

I always enjoy dinners at the beach at this place....

Ahh, Captain Anderson's. Not only have I always loved the food, but this wonderful restaurant is special to me now because this is where we went to dinner to celebrate after Male Hale popped the question on the beach almost 2 years ago! I cannot believe that in less than 2 months we will be celebrating our first wedding anniversary! AND...we will be spending our anniversary in.....

I have been to Vegas twice and had an incredible time during both visits. He has never been before and I cannot wait to see his reaction and his mind going in 49382489 different directions about where we should go and what we should do!

Well, guess I should start making my list of what to pack for the beach! I hope we don't run into any problems with the oil situation...but as always, I'll be sure to document everything with pictures :)

Happy Thursday!

girl, you're starting to grind my gears

2010-06-17T20:15:00.000-04:00

Love that phrase! Plus I found my gears grinding more than once today. Here's what set them in motion.....

Went to Target on my lunch break...bought some bandeau bathing suit tops....only to find that everyone had swiped the mini strap that comes with it from ALL the green tops (which of course was one of the two I had selected).

I wake up everyday and look in the mirror and realize I have black eyebrows and blonde hair. I pretty much came out of the womb with these full, dark brows...and I'll admit I color my hair to be brighter blonde than it naturally is....but when someone asks me, "have you ever considered dying your eyebrows?" I have to think good thoughts and take a deep breath. Have people ever seen what happens sometimes when you try to dye jet black hair to blonde? Your result is orange. Please accept me for the crazy way I am, xoxo.

Just witnessed Alex Trebek be a complete jerk to someone who got an answer wrong by saying, "and that puts you even more in the negative..." As if the contestant didn't know?! They probably already felt bad enough for getting the answer wrong in the first place. Please refrain from sprinkling salt in wounds Alex.

Bouncing to another random topic, after contemplating the "which 3 people would you want to have dinner with" question, I do believe I have reached my answer.

Betty White
Cesar Milan (for the non dog-enthusiasts...The Dog Whisperer)
Jack Nicholson

I'd close the place down with those 3. Who are yours??

what I gotta have & Boston

2010-06-16T09:55:00.000-04:00

I've started noticing how much I love the little things in life....and I would be so unhappy and disappointed if the following didn't exist....

chips & salsa

diet dr. pepper

hulu.com - how else would I catch up on shows?!

my book club

forever21.com (recently I visited a Forever21 in Massachusetts that had TEN rooms full of clothes!)

$5 bang bang shrimp nights @ Bonefish

coupons

This past weekend I went to Boston to celebrate my friend Jacqueline's bachelorette weekend! I cannot wait for her to marry Eric...it's going to be an over the top wedding and they are 2 amazing, good-hearted people. Here's a few pics...

When I found out we had a party bus to transport us from place to place, I was pretty pumped. I must say, I think we had more fun on that thing as opposed to any of the time we spent in the bars. The weather felt wonderful! It was such a nice change from the 90 degree HUMID heat here in the South. I look forward to a weekend getaway to Massachusetts for their wedding with my hubby! I will say I felt like somewhat of a language freak when I kept hearing "oh my gah, say that again, I want to hear you say that again!" :)

needless to say when I parted from these gals, I told them "see YA'LL again real soon!!!!"

BP is serious BS

2010-06-04T09:31:00.000-04:00

Everyone knows I am a HUGE animal lover, but I am absolutely terrified of birds. I don't care for them...at all. But when I watched this video this morning, I couldn't believe my eyes.

Seems to me like those photographers and videographers would have an ounce of compassion in them and put down their damn cameras and do something to try to help when a creature is laying there with its limbs practically stuck together like glue while trying to escape the waves crashing over it. UGH!

We have a trip planned to Panama City later this month and it seems that the more coverage we watch of the oil spill, the more and more we think we're going to have to call for a refund and issue a detour :( I am totally astounded and sickened by the results of this catastrophe. I can't watch anything without hearing about people losing their jobs as fishermen who just happen to be the sole provider for their families. It seems at some point throughout every day I watch gloved hands pick up globs of oil that have collected and I try not to envision what the ultimate outcome of this will be.

I sure hope Tony Hayward has some trouble sleeping tonight, tomorrow night, and the next...and the next.....

Where oh where has my spare time gone?

2010-05-07T11:16:00.000-04:00

Oh where oh where could it be?!

Probably spent....

or...

or getting the energy out of....

**************************

I have become quite involved in the coupon scene. I watch weekly ads as if they are a company I have stock in! But with coupons and scoping out all the grocery ads...I did save $46 at Publix last week! I made sure to stock up on things I can bring for lunch. My goal this month is to bring my lunch to work everyday and see how much it saves me. I can be the world's worst about just not putting anything together in the mornings and thinking "oh, I'll just run out and grab something". Well with doing that I have learned that the days of $4 and $5 lunches are over my friend! And after a week of buying lunch, I realize I could have put a tank of gas in my car for what I've spent on food.

I am cleaning machine these days...but no matter how much this machine runs, there's STILL always something. Dust falls again as soon as I turn my back...dishes are filling up the dishwasher the second after I unload it....the hamper has a mind of its own and has decided to be bottomless....and my vacuum gets more action than a newlywed couple! I love the feeling of sitting in a clean house, but lately that feeling usually only lasts for a day or two.

Jasper seems to be getting bigger and bigger by the day. I promise there are times when I wake up and think, "he is bigger than he was when he went to bed". I am so glad the rain has tapered off. Not only does it suck taking a dog with huge paws that always seems to find puddles to potty in the rain, but he starts getting cabin fever and doesn't understand why he's not out at the dog park or running laps in the yard. Those are the days you just have to keep your fingers crossed when you leave him at home because sometimes boredom and curiosity get the best of him and you never know what he might decide to start playing with!

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend and a happy, happy Mother's Day!!

Today's Top Story

2010-04-08T10:23:00.002-04:00

Well I wish I had one! I haven't blogged in forever...I've been consumed with each day's routine. I find myself wanting to just go home and do absolutely nothing after work & hope that we don't have any existing plans....and then there are days I hope that there will be something to look forward to when I push aside all the files on my desk and walk out of this dreary courthouse.

My friends Liz and Katie made a confessions post that inspired me to get real with myself. You never know if putting something out there, will in turn, bring you help or bring you just what you've been looking for.

*I hardly ever, ever, ever like what I see in the mirror. It's more than annoying when people say you're just doing it for attention or fishing for compliments because they have no idea how much your own disapproval of yourself can really break you down.

*I often regret how I chose to live my college experience. I spent my freshman year at a university away from home and wish I had actually enjoyed it and could have lived the typical college lifestyle. I came back to my hometown's university and could have become involved in a sorority or lived on campus or become more involved somehow, but chose to live at home and work 2 jobs.

*I look back on how horribly I treated some people in my past and it makes me sick to my stomach. I was such a selfish person at times. All signs point towards I am, in fact, the reason they did not make it into my future...and I wonder what life would have been like if they did.

*I am a firm believer that girls who grow up without a father figure truly suffer in more ways than one. I have let guys walk all over me, I have been needy, I have wanted so badly to feel needed, and at times thought a guy was capable of filling any void or fixing the wrongs in my life. Oddly enough, I was always the one to end relationships. I constantly stop and thank God for giving me a husband that loves me on my good days, on my bad days, at my high points, & at my low points.

*I think I'm at the point in my life that it's just like the Sugarland song says, "there's gotta be somethin' more, gotta be more than this..." I want to find what it is in life that makes me want to get up each day and go out and make a difference. I am burnt out. I want to find out what I am passionate about....and when I find out what that passion is, I want to turn it into a career.

"It's my life, so it's mine to make." - Sugarland

Haven't Met You Yet...but I finally saw you!!

2010-03-17T10:17:00.000-04:00

Love that song of Michael Bublé's! And the time finally came this past weekend for us to hear it LIVE! And yes, he is just as charming as you would think he would be and oozes dreaminess whether he's singing or simply talking. His voice in concert sounds exactly as if you popped in a CD and listened to it. He cracked jokes and talked about his life and even the hubby said, "this isn't so bad after all." :)

I love his style of music and his musicians were absolutely amazing! I think I have almost convinced myself that I want to learn how to play the saxophone! I know how to play the drums and the clarinet, but their sound is nothing like what can come from that instrument!

We had a wonderful getaway, even if it was just for one night. We stumbled upon a great mexican restaurant before the concert and met up with male Hale's cousin and her friend who had MB's tunes going on our way to the concert and made us laugh the entire time :) We went out afterwards and went back to our hotel room with a KING size bed. Now this may not be a big deal to some couples, but for a couple, such as ourselves, that crawl into a full size bed every night, it's a huge deal! But hey, I guess I look at it as, I never ever get cold at night! :)

We went out and about around Atlanta the next day and had a wonderful lunch at a restaurant called Twist. They are known for their martinis and sushi and raw bar. My crunchy shrimp roll was the absolute best I had ever, ever tasted....and my Peartini....so good I would have slapped my momma!!
We sat and talked for quite awhile after we were finished and it was so enjoyable to be off work and enjoying each other's company. Love that guy of mine!

Hope everyone is sporting their green today and enjoys the day! I got some of these pics in an email and they made me smile, so thought I'd share!

Am I wearing a kick me sign??

2010-02-25T15:17:00.004-05:00

I found out my Grandmother has a malignant tumor in her bladder. They are performing surgery in early March and feel confident they can remove all of the tumor because of it's small size. I just hope they remove everything and nothing harmful returns! She doesn't let on as though she's worried, but deep down I know she is and I'm glad my mom will be traveling to be with her...they have such a great mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship! She decided to come into town this weekend and I will be so happy to see her and spend time with her before she has her procedure.

Our poor Jasper has been sick :( His stomach has been upset oh so badly. My husband took him to the vet today and he said he had an accident in the exam room that showed traces of blood....sorry, gross I know, but everyone knows that's never a good thing. We couldn't feed him yesterday and they told us not to feed him today. After I took him out this morning, he ran to his food bowl and was just wagging his tail because he knows he's always fed breakfast before I get in the shower, and it broke my heart not to be able to feed him because he's starting to be sluggish and I know he needs a boost! He was given a round of stomach meds so I hope they kick in asap! And speaking of wagging his tail, we have discovered he has developed another problem, which has a deceiving name..."happy tail". Great Danes have such long tails that when they become excited their tails tend to bump into whatever they are around. Well Jasper has such a happy tail that he has essentially broken the tip of his tail. We crated him for a day and when I came home to take him out I noticed his tail brushing the wall and leaving little blood spots. I of course freaked and called the vet and they said he more than likely wagged his tail against the sides the entire time he was in the crate due to being so anxious and did it then. They don't have much feeling in the end of their tail, so they explained that he probably didn't even realize he was hurting himself. We have his tail wrapped and he doesn't even bother the bandage, but looks so pitiful with it on!

(I snapped this outside while walking him! his tail looks like part of a mummy!)

They prescribed him doggy xanax (yes, I know...doggy xanax) to help with his separation anxiety in hopes of him taking it easy while he is in his crate. I hate to think of my poor puppy in there not even realizing he is hurting himself! :(

For the past 3 weeks on Tuesday evenings I have been attending a bible class that my cousin is leading at her church. The study is entitled, "Me, Myself, & Lies" and the author describes it as a thought closet makeover. It touches a lot on self-esteem and self-worth which are weaknesses of mine and things I most definitely need to work on. Last week we talked about how all too often we beat ourselves up over problems that arise and blame ourselves while we constantly complain about it and never think about stopping to pray about it and realize we serve a God who is committed to us and if we would only take our hands off of the problem and ask Him for his help, we would see just what our faith is capable of. This story was the focal point for one of the days and it truly touched my heart.

Mark 5:25-34

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. ²⁵And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. ²⁶She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. ²⁷When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." ²⁹Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
³⁰At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
³¹"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "
³²But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. ³³Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. ³⁴He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

Imagine having the amount of faith that this ostracized woman had that she knew that if she were only to be able to touch the hem of His garment, her life would be forever changed! I have 3 more weeks in the class and look forward to growing in not only my relationship with myself, but my relationship with Him.

For a good cause!

2010-02-23T11:16:00.002-05:00

"Jasper"

I am a huge advocate of spaying and neutering pets! Thousands of animals are born into this world and not given a second thought as they are turned over to a shelter or left to fend for themselves. I have entered Jasper in a photo contest in which one vote for $1 will not only support his chances in the photo contest, but support countless animals who may get a second chance, just like he did, because of your vote!

Go here to vote for him and any other photo that you see that you like! If you want to enter your precious pet, the deadline is Friday for the Spay Day 2010 Pet Photo Contest!

Now I've said my ABC's...

2010-02-22T11:04:00.001-05:00

I saw this on a friend's blog and thought it'd be something to get this "why are you already here Monday?!?!" started off in a good way!

A - Age: 25

B - Bed size: UGH, Full. One day this king and queen will have a king or queen.

C - Chore you hate: Putting up laundry!

D - Dog's Name: Jasper

E - Essential start your day item: Coffee, coffee, coffee.

F - Favorite color: green.

G - Gold or Silver: Silver. I don't think I will ever be a gold fan.

H - Height: 5’6"...5'7" somewhere around there.

I - Instruments you play(ed): played drums

J - Job title: Assistant Victim Witness Coordinator

K - Kid(s): in the future, but now right now.

L - Living arrangements: with my husband in our first little house that I wish we could be in forever!

M - Mom's name: Connie

N - Nicknames: E, Big E, Em, Embo

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: None

P - Pet Peeve: people who cannot spell and don't have a relationship with grammar

Q - Quote from a movie: "and I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her." - Knotting Hill/Julia Roberts

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: n/a

T - Time you wake up: 6:45 most days

U - Underwear: I always seem to be buying it!

V - Vegetable you dislike: brussel sprouts

W - Ways you drink your coffee: cream & sweet-n-low

X- X-rays you've had: Teeth, hand, elbow

Y - Yummy food you make: cheesy chicken broccoli casserole

Z - Zoo favorite: elephants for sure!

This past weekend has left me itching for summer oh so badly! I want to watch male Hale grill steaks while our friends socialize & play kornhole wondering whose car will pull up next to come hang out....I want to wear dresses and flip-flops....I want to take Jasper to the dog park after seeing how much he loves other dogs, especially little ones :) -- ah, it seems so far away!

March is a jam-packed month for us and I know it will fly by. I have never been a big fan of the "spring forward" time change, my body seems to take forever to get used to it. The hubby's birthday is in early March and I have part of his gift figured out, but need to get the wheels turning for the rest of it.

Hope everyone has a happy, or if anything, a tolerable Monday!

Ten Things That Put Me Over the Top!

2010-02-10T09:48:00.000-05:00

Meghan at the always entertaining blog of Livin' The Life God Gave Me tagged me to share ten things that make me happy. So here goes! I'm going to go for the little things that bring a smile to my face.

1. Leaving for wherever I am going in enough time to run through Starbucks. I love being able to savor that Cinnamon Dolce flavor while driving down the road.

2. Having a clean house. I can honestly stand in a room that I have just cleaned and feel like I have actually accomplished something and smile before I turn the light out and go on to my next project.

3. Books. I can't get enough of them....end of story.

4. Lazy days. Who doesn't love these? Snacks, blankets, comfy clothes, and good company.

5. Pictures. I can look through album after album of pictures regardless of whether they're from when I'm 3 or 23 and always reminisce on good times.

6. Remembering I have a gift card to somewhere at what seems like the exact time I'm worrying about spending $ on something, but know that we need it.

7. Voice notes on my blackberry. It never fails that when a friend and I to exchange one (and usually it's this girl) I laugh out loud for at least a minute.

8. Decorating for holidays. I don't care if it's putting out a Vday dish towel and candy dish or decorating the Christmas tree....I can't get enough of it!

9. Making finger foods. I'm always anxious to try new recipes for the snacks we take places.

10. A favorite song. I always forget how much a song I love can change my mood as I'm tapping the steering wheel and belting out the lyrics.

I'm going to tag....

Just a Little Something on my Mind

Newlywed Morgans

Wife and Mother of 2

Delightfully Rotten

These Magic Slippers Will Take You Home

HAPPY WEDNESDAY! Only 2 more days!!!

Meet our new addition...Jasper!

2010-02-04T13:17:00.000-05:00

Well here he is. All 130 pounds of him. He is the newest member of the Hale family.

We got Jasper from a Great Dane rescue group called Dames for Danes. His right ear, as you can tell, is only half there. :( His owner who gave him up said he was born that way, but his foster mom fears someone tried to crop his ears themselves and it didn't go as planned. I like it...I think it gives him character!

We traveled about an hour and a half to pick him up and he did extremely well on the car ride home. We stopped at PetSmart which did NOT turn into a cheap trip!!! I bought him a $60 bed that he had no interest in when we got home. He was content with just being on the floor! And that's pretty much what made him happy for the night!

We start obedience classes tonight...we don't wanna waste any time :) He isn't hyper or bouncing off the walls...we just want to master sit, stay, and all that good stuff. Wish us luck!

Bookworm

2010-02-03T09:31:00.000-05:00

So recently I have finished these two books....

and...

"The Lovely Bones" was a book I could not put down. I found myself rarely, if at all, thinking about the movie and comparing what I had seen in the previews to what I was reading. I never tried to picture the characters I had seen in the movie trailers as the ones in the book and I was proud of myself that I didn't let that affect my reading. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

With "Dear John" I found myself in a similar situation of not being able to put it down, but my downfall was constantly comparing the book characters with Channing Tatum (and I mean, who wouldn't want to constantly think of him??) and Amanda Seyfried and wanting them to do what I wanted them to do and what I had seen on the previews. I didn't particularly care for the ending, but in talking with others, I do see the flip-side and see why they, in fact, did like it. If nothing else, I have two movies to go see now that I have read the book for, right??

As I said the other day, we were going through an application process to adopt a dog from a rescue group. We had our home visit on Monday and PASSED with flying colors! We got word Monday night that we were approved to become his new parents, but that he'd just been neutered so we needed to wait a couple of days to go get him. Well the time has come and we will be going to get him today!! I can't wait to post pictures and learn all about our new addition, Jasper! Happy Wednesday everyone!

Let's spice it up with February!!

2010-02-01T10:30:00.001-05:00

I felt like January was such a cold, dismal month! I'm looking forward to February because I am a fan of Valentine's Day and male Hale is in a chili competition next weekend...and this girl looooves some chili! The food is free and a local radio station and news station will be in attendance. A bake sale will be in full effect as well....I think my diet will be blown this day!! Donations go to help the 212th Transportation Unit for the Army Reserves. They deploy in April for Afghanistan for one year so this will be such a great cause.

I did enjoy our snow this past weekend though! I am glad I like being a homebody because when everything turns to solid ice and you're home Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, you can catch some cabin fever! Brunswick stew, board games, white chicken chili, & movies seemed to do the trick though. I love how snow always looks so perfect on rooftops!

For quite some time now we have wanted to adopt a dog. We have looked and looked for a four-legged friend to adopt in the particular breed that peaked our interest. We became interested in this breed because of their temperament, habits, & what we heard from speaking with previous owners. Last Thursday we visited a lovely guy named Jasper and he stole our hearts. This particular rescue group likes to do home visits to ensure the dog will have a safe & suitable lifestyle. We have our home visit this evening and from what the agency has indicated to us, if the visit goes well, we should be able to bring him home some time this week. We don't have a fence, but they have known that from the get-go and said it was not required, but I still worry they will count that against us. I don't want to post any pictures or tell you any more about it because I want it to be a surprise! And not to mention I will be so, so bummed if things don't work out. Just keep your fingers crossed for us!

Without a doubt, Super Bowl commercials and good eats are two things to always look forward to during the big game. Then 4 days later, my book club girlies will be meeting at my house to discuss "The Lovely Bones" (can't wait to see this movie!). Three days after that will be Valentine's Day which I am glad is falling on a weekend and I've figured out what to get my husband! The next day will be this gal's birthday and I'll wait 12 days to celebrate this new mommy's birthday! Looking forward to February's festivities!

Consumption.

2010-01-13T09:48:00.001-05:00

So for the past 2 weeks this has been my daily diet ---

Breakfast: yogurt or banana
Lunch: salad, soup, or leftovers
Snack: applesauce or another yogurt
Dinner: chicken or steak or pork with 2 veggies
*No fried food *No sweets *1 coke a day, water the rest of the day *not eating potatoes, bread (UGHH!)

If I ever woke up 30 minutes or so before I had to start getting ready, I'd make myself some eggs, but considering I cherish my sleep like it's gold, so that never happens. Chili's has a guiltless chicken platter that I could probably eat every day! It's a grilled chicken breast that comes with mixed veggies and rice, but I always get corn on the cob instead of rice because their corn is out of this world! I had lunch with a friend last week at Chili's and I stole a french fry and I had myself convinced it was the best french fry I had ever, ever tasted!

I applaud anyone who is changing their eating habits because it's so difficult when your stomach is still growling and you want that dish that is your absolute weakness! There was so much chocolate in our house from the holidays and I just had to open the trash can, close my eyes, and let it fall.

What are you trying to do differently in 2010?

That's some BS!

2010-01-12T11:02:00.000-05:00

BS being bathing suits! I never look this early, but with Victoria's Secret blowing up my inbox, I just had to! These girls are definitely pushing me along with my healthy eating....now if I could just have their skin, hair, etc. ha! These are a few that caught my eye today....

Which one do you think?

I am ready for these freezing temperatures to hit the road! I want to be on the lake listening to good tunes while I bob up and down in the water while sitting on a noodle laughing at some old story that starts with "oh my gosh, do you remember that time when we....." I could also definitely handle hearing waves crash while brushing sand off my towel and asking hubby to grab me a drink out of the cooler! Maybe I should print one of these gals off and tape her inside the refrigerator so every time I go to grab junk I think "don't you want a summer bod?!?!"

Tell Me I'm Not Crazy....

2010-01-09T21:11:00.000-05:00

for wanting to stay in on a Saturday night. I'm almost ashamed to admit I re-organized a closet, cleaned out my rolltop desk of meaningless papers, did a load of laundry, and at just 8pm I am sitting on the couch watching Family Guy. I need some storage tips! For shoes, clothes, kitchen stuff, anything! I love my house, like seriously I wish I could stay in this house forever....it's so cozy, I'd snap a finger if it would allow just one room to be added on, and I love, love, love it, but it's only a little over 900 square feet and the 2 closets we have suck! I've got stuff in tops of closets, bottoms of closets, under the bed storage, etc. Help a girl out!

Has anyone seen the previews for Mel Gibson's new movie? I think it looks so good! But I am a big Mel fan.

I have started 2010 with the mindset of eating healthier. French fries, enchiladas, and burgers have never been so forbidden to me! I'd just like to shed a few to feel like I don't have to shimmy into a pair of jeans :) Feel free to help me with healthy recipes!

I wish there was something in January to decorate for....I hated taking down the Christmas tree! It just feels cozier with some type of decorations up around the house.

Random post, I know....but random is how I feel life hits me lately!

ghost town

2010-01-02T15:54:00.000-05:00

I know I have been MIA, but I unfortunately left my camera cord at work and have been off for a week and a half.

Christmas was fabulous! My hubby got me Michael Buble tickets and I cannot wait to physically melt in front of him! Mom had a ring made for me with my dad's diamond that is probably the most unforgettable gift I have ever received. New Year's Eve was a blast and I laughed while going through those pictures today...they'll be here soon.

The only down side is that I have had a cold since the 26th and it has sabotaged my days off from work. I feel horrible when I wake up and usually don't gather any energy until late afternoon, so I have not been as productive as I hoped to be.

My wonderful cousin Megan and her boyfriend Dan (who is practically a duplicate of my husband) are in town and we celebrated a late, fun-filled Christmas yesterday. We'll be going to a favorite italian restaurant tonight for my Mom's birthday and then going out on the town. I love my life!!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful and memorable Christmas and here's to 2010!

left, left, left, right, left.

2009-12-16T15:17:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I feel like things in life are regimented. You know the silly directions on shampoo that say "Lather. Rinse. Repeat."? That's what I feel like from time to time. Wake up early, go to work, run errands, come home, do things around the house, go to bed, repeat. Don't get me wrong, I know this is the typical day for most adults, but sometimes I suffer from such a "blah" feeling from it. I stare mindlessly at files at work and think I'd rather be doing laundry, but then I get home and start to tackle that laundry only to find that it sets off a chain reaction to more loads...and then I notice those spots on the mirror....which turns into looking at the sink....and before I know it I've got a to do list that I can't accomplish before I crawl in bed. I hope being off work for Christmas and the week after will allow me to manage my to do lists.

And it always seems as though that the days that I feel so blah and overwhelmed undoubtedly turn into the days where I look in the mirror and don't seem to like what I see. But that's a completely different can of worms...and something I need so badly to work on, but don't know where to reach within myself to accomplish it.

I have always been a fan of the movie "The Bucket List"& sometimes when I am feeling low, it makes me daydream about my list....which includes, but is not limited to, *have my picture taken under the Welcome to Las Vegas sign, *see Michael Bublé in concert, *cook an entire meal for my family without worrying through everyone's bites and chewing if it's good or not, *visit a winery, *adopt a dog from an animal shelter, and I won't bore you with the rest ;) Is there anything you just know without a doubt you want to do someday??

the side we are blind to...

2009-12-11T10:28:00.000-05:00

Last night my husband and I went to see "The Blind Side" with several friends after a birthday dinner. I told everyone moments before walking in that I was sure I would end up crying at one point during the movie. Never did I imagine that I would be wiping tears periodically throughout the entire movie.

I won't go into details and spoil anything for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, but I was in awe.....in awe of how much I take for granted and how fortunate I am. I was in disbelief....in disbelief that there are those who don't always have friends to sit with at school, who don't have clothes that smell just like dryer sheets when you put them on, and those who don't even a bed to crawl into each night. I was heartbroken...heartbroken that there are situations in which children are torn from their parents because their parents endanger them and those endangerments continue without the blink of an eye.

I cannot really explain how this movie moved me. My heart would ache, but would turn around and almost burst with happiness. I haven't stopped talking about it since the credits rolled. It has made me want to make a difference somehow....I don't exactly know how, but there has been a strong tug at a heartstring and it cannot be ignored.

Love is....

2009-12-07T12:41:00.000-05:00

Don't go through the holidays without it!

Ornaments = Overjoyed!

2009-12-02T10:25:00.000-05:00

I love to get a text saying, "there's a package that came for you today". I got this text yesterday and knew immediately that it was my ornament from the ornament swap with Tale of a GRITS! Unfortunately, I had several stops to make after work and knew it would be awhile before I was able to open my surprise. When I finally got home, I was so eager to see what this fellow blogging gal had in store for me. She exceeded my expectations for sure!

With not one....

Not two....

But THREE ornaments!

And she also added these goodies in too!

Magic reindeer food! How cute is that?!

Needless to say I am very appreciative and excited about the new additions! Tale of a GRITS...thank you so much and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy your ornaments too! They should be there tomorrow :)

Bonjour December!

2009-12-01T09:18:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that I am thrilled that December has crept up on me! I adore going home and turning the Christmas tree lights on, turning the overhead lights off, curling up with my Snuggie (yes, I said Snuggie), sipping on coffee with Baileys or a cup of hot cider, and just taking in all the Christmas vibe that surrounds me and letting go of all of the stress of the day. My tree has been up for 2 weeks and I think I have decided I will never wait until the day after Thanksgiving again! I signed up for an ornament exchange and this fabulous blogger and I were paired as partners to exchange! She shipped mine yesterday and hers is going out today....I can't wait to see mine and hear her reaction to hers! Just reason 39305789 why I love Christmas time!

Thanksgiving was truly wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed my first Thanksgiving as a wife! We had a wonderful dinner at my Uncle's house, went shopping on Black Friday, went to Tunica for a little slot machine time, ate amazing ribs at the famous Rendezvous, saw The Rockettes and their Christmas Spectacular, and went out to Beale Street! We had a blast. My cousin Megan and I are so close so I always enjoy time I get to spend with her, especially since we are about 5 hours away from each other.

Megan and I in downtown Memphis.

Our Black Friday purchase at home in our bedroom.

Me with my Mom and Grandmother @ Rendezvous.

Right before stuffing ourselves at Thanksgiving dinner.

Well, I am going back to looking at my overwhelming Christmas list of gifts for others. I am SO behind. My calendar continually fills up and I wonder when I will ever get this shopping done?! Have a great first day of December!

tisk, tisk

2009-11-16T14:45:00.000-05:00

I have been a horrible excuse of a blogger lately! It's as though right at the moment when I sit down to make a post, the phone rings, or I see something I should have tended to, or just about anything can distract me at times. Yesterday I helped host a baby shower for Happily Ever After and it was a fabulous afternoon. Her post depicts the day perfectly....from gifts, to girls, to us not being able to stay away from the food! Be sure and check it out! I am so happy for her and ready for her little boy to introduce himself into this world.

I am more than ready for Thanksgiving....there's always those times when you just know the warmth and happenings that come with your own Thanksgiving. We all know it includes overeating, reminiscing and someone just "having" to eat that last piece of pie. Aunt Wanda will tell me and my cousins that she "just can't get over how grown up we are"...and I'm sure someone will pull out an embarrassing story of mine for Male Hale to hear. Sure, there will be an eye-roll or two, but with that there will also come hugs and i-love-yous. Mom and I will go straight for the day-after Thanksgiving ads and find some reason why a certain deal is just too good to pass up. Family members will plant themselves on the couch and swear they're not moving, but a board game will make its way out and everyone will mosey to a chair around the table. But that's MY Thanksgiving...and I wouldn't have it any other way! Is there any certain tradition or event that you just always know will be in store for you and yours?

I glanced at the month of December on my calendar and noticed it's booking up just as fast as November has. Mom's retirement party, various Christmas parties, dinners for gift exchanges, and boom, Christmas will be here! I need to work on shopping, that's for sure, because if there's one thing I hate it's the awful, overwhelming traffic and crowds in the mall area. And then New Year's Eve will creep up on me. I want to do something different and out of the ordinary this year! I want to get dressed up with the hubby and ring in 2010 like we never have before. These are my intentions....but we'll see if I carry through with them ;)

I ordered the invitations today for our 3rd annual Tacky Christmas party! Here's a few shots from the past two years...

Always, always, a good time!!

Bubbly for Bublé

2009-11-06T10:13:00.000-05:00

Well it's official. I have become obsessed with Michael Bublé. His voice just melts me like butter! I have always liked this song, but when I saw that he covered it, I could hardly stand it! Be sure and check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiMAh2cLczY

Listening to him makes me want to be in a little dimly lit jazz club sipping on a martini while I tap my high heels and watch my little cocktail dress sparkle. I think I just might have to see him in concert now...

Rantin' & Ravin'!

2009-11-03T15:10:00.001-05:00

I see criminals on a daily basis. I see felons, I see thieves, I see abusers, and I see murders. But when it hits home, I take on an entirely different perspective. Everyone loves their grandparents and thinks they're diamonds in the rough. I always hear about door-to-door salesmen taking advantage of people or even telemarketers....but when these criminals are supposed to be HELPFUL and be someone's AT HOME NURSE, that's even worse. And when I come to find out they've cleaned out my Granny's entire jewelry box, that's when anger and fury run through my veins. This evil, vile person is my Granny's nurse for TWO days when something just doesn't feel right. She calls the nursing agency and says she just doesn't feel comfortable with this particular nurse and she doesn't seem to be meeting the criteria. This evil, heinous person comes back to my Granny's house AFTER she has been fired and wants to come in (with her child at her side) and sit with her and tell her how sorry she is that everything didn't work out and she wanted to check on her. Well in her 45 minute visit, this monster goes to the restroom four times. Turns out during these four instances, she's swiping as much as she can out of my Granny's bedroom. Took her wedding rings, all her bracelets, all her necklaces, and even silver dollars that her husband collected before he passed away. When I sit back and this that my Granny honestly thought this woman wanted to come visit her and apologize and spend a few minutes with her, it breaks my heart. WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?? Do they not have a conscience?? Much less a heart?? Taking advantage of the elderly is one of the most cowardly, low-down, & appalling wrong-doings on the face of this earth. The only thing I could ever take from this sweet little face is the love that she so freely gives me....

It's time to talk Thursday....

2009-10-29T11:59:00.005-04:00

Well Jodi Picoult has done it again....

I finished this book just this morning and found myself gasping, my eyes widening, and asking "whhhaatttt?" out loud. This author takes so many twists and turns in her books during the exact moment that you think you have it all figured out and I absolutely love that. Her books are always around 350-400 pages, but you would never realize they were once you crack them open. You are drawn in from the very first paragraph!

Today is my friend's birthday and I am wishing her the very happiest of days and hoping she gets to celebrate every single minute of the day! I am so glad her co-workers took the time to decorate her cube and make a cake for her :) We celebrated this past weekend and I was able to eat dinner with her and give her gifts to her, but "the day of" always feels more real than an early celebration. You know I'd be there if I could!

Happy Birthday to you! Love you girl!

I am anxiously awaiting this friend's bundle of joy! Little Parker can't get here fast enough....and after her last ultrasound, she saw a closeup of his little face, which really resembles her and that made my anticipation jump even higher! We were talking just the other night about how next summer we will need to take a beach vacation. I envision us kicking back with our toes in the sand, complaining about how ridiculously hot it is outside (but we will continue to lay there as the sweat pours!!), and we'll have an ice cold beverage chilling in our hand without a care in the world. Here's a picture from July of '08 when we were at the beach together. Ahh, those were the days! For some reason that summer felt like there weren't bills to pay or countless errands to run...and I think when this picture was taken, she was told earlier that day by male Hale that he was gonna pop the question while we were at the beach...she kept a tight lid on that secret!

Stay classy Florida! We'll be back....

I never get tired of looking at the clock on Thursday evenings and noticing it's 8:59. I hurry to the couch, grab the remote, change the channel, pile up with a blanket, and hear that theme music that lets me know I'm about to laugh for the next half hour with these characters....

I never become bored with Stanley's obsession with pretzels, Dwight's analogies of life and beets, Michael's horrible jokes, Angela's bitterness towards everything, or that same look Jim always gives the camera. I would have never become a fan of The Office if it hadn't been for this friend! She let me borrow all of her seasons on DVD and when I caught up, I was hooked! I throughly enjoy having a friend and someone in my actual office who loves The Office just as much as I do!

I will close with a picture taken of me and my goddaughter just this past weekend.

I worship the ground this little girl walks on! She has the ability of making me smile when I'm sad, feel on top of the world when I feel 2 inches tall, and hugging me with little arms that feel like they love me oh so much! She is 6 now and growing by the minute. I was going through a rough time in my life with a horrible roommate that pushed me to the point of moving out, breaking my lease and putting all of my possessions in storage. My goddaughter's mom (my friend & lifesaver Katie) welcomed me into her home with open arms until I could figure out what I was going to do or finally find a house that I was ready to buy and call home. Nothing could ever top this little angel coming in the room I was staying in on a Saturday morning with sleepy eyes and a mess of hair, crawling up on the bed and saying, "morning!!" She melts my heart and the time I lived with Katie was so special because I saw so much of this little lady and grew even closer to her. People often mistake her for my daughter which, in my eyes, is the biggest compliment in the world!

Pandora Princess & Tuning In....

2009-10-27T11:17:00.001-04:00

And that is just what I am. I am HUGE fan of Pandora.com. I just plug my headphones in my computer and work away while listening to whatever I want to! You type in an artist's name and it will play songs by that artist and anything similar. It's almost like I slip into my own little toe-tapping world and tackle files like nobody's business! Everything is blocked out except you and your jams....

Also, I found this site today. Tasty Kitchen Recipes. Looks like I will have to try several of the soups because the Hales are all about some good soups during chilly fall weather!

Today is TV Tuesday! I am, without question, a HUGE fan of The Biggest Loser!

I tune in to see these faces and witness them sweat, struggle, prevail, cry, yell, and of course, have the occasional drama sessions! Danny, Shay, & Rudy are my predictions for a winner right now.

The male Hale loves that wild gang on...

I've read lots of reviews on this show in which people said they would have never tuned in from reading the synopsis of the show, but once they started watching, they were hooked! It's most definitely an action packed drama. Jax, one of the main characters, is pretty easy on the eyes too!! Who can resist a bunch of guys who don't take crap from anyone while cruising around on bikes and going through all the trials and tribulations of life?!

Hope everyone has a great day!!

(Found this quote today and it's just how I feel sometimes)

"My life has a superb cast, but I can't figure out the plot." ~Ashleigh Brilliant

I did the doo-doo....

2009-10-26T12:47:00.002-04:00

Doo-doo cookies that is! Not an appealing recipe title...but man are they scrumptious!

I'm sure you have had these before, but if not, here's the recipe. You won't regret making them!!

2 cups of sugar

1/2 cup of milk

3 or 4 tsp. of cocoa (based upon how much you love chocolate!)

1/2 cup of margarine

Bring these ingredients to a rapid boil and boil for about a minute.

In a separate bowl, have these ingredients waiting:

3 cups of oatmeal

2/3 cup of peanut butter

1 tsp. of vanilla extract

Stir until it's all blended and drop them as small or as big as you'd like on wax paper and let them cool! I can't resist them with a big, cold glass of milk! Enjoy!

Saturdays

2009-10-24T11:03:00.000-04:00

It's crazy to think when you were little, you always made sure you were up early on Saturdays to watch those cartoons you had waited all week for. I remember my mom would always make muffins or pancakes and we would pile up on the couch and tune in. Then you go through that stage where you don't make a peep until noon. You always hear everyone say, "you're wasting so much of the day!", but you could care less, and you wouldn't give up the opportunity to sleep in for anything! Now I am somewhere in between. I love thinking I can get up at 9 instead of 6:45. I don't ever see noon, but that's fine, because now as I have gotten older, I see what I can accomplish...even if they are just little things. For example, this morning I got up and put taco soup in the crock-pot for us to enjoy while watching football....I folded some laundry and had some breakfast while watching a little TV while the hubby still snoozed, and it was nice. (nice to not have to watch Sportscenter first thing in the morning, hehe)

This weekend my friend Skye will celebrate her 23rd birthday! We'll go out downtown tonight and then enjoy good food and great company tomorrow at Big River while celebrating & watching some football. I finally was able to finish her birthday present...she had simple requests, but I was struggling to put it all together!

My mom has been soaking up the rays in Destin since Wednesday. I have been running back and forth from my house to hers taking care of this little angel that my mom would NOT know what to do without.

This is Blossom. She and my mom and inseparable and we have had her for FIFTEEN years! Bless her heart, she can barely hear now and her vision is going, but with it being just her and my mom, this little rascal keeps a smile on Mom's face!

Well I will close with a big ROLL TIDE!! Today is the Tennessee vs. Alabama game and this is a game that my husband looks so forward to every year. We went last year and had a blast even though we froze to death! We look warm here, but I know he's glad his beard is back for chilly days like today.

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Can't get enough...

2009-10-14T12:53:00.000-04:00

If there's one type of food I never grow tired of, it is hands down, MEXICAN!

I can have Mexican for dinner on Tuesday night and wake up on Wednesday morning already craving it for lunch! Crazy, I know, but that's how my qwerky little brain functions! I want to know what the one type of food or even one food item is that YOU never get sick of! Leave me a comment with your answer. Hey you never know, I could send some your way, post a recipe, or try my hand at making something new!

I would highly recommend....

2009-10-08T15:38:00.007-04:00

I am on page 220 of this 447 page book and have not been able to put it down. If you haven't heard of it, here's what it's about:

-- Freelance carpenter Shay Bourne was sentenced to death for killing a little girl, Elizabeth Nealon, and her cop stepfather. Eleven years after the murders, Elizabeth's sister, Claire, needs a heart transplant, and Shay volunteers, which complicates the state's execution plans. Meanwhile, death row has been the scene of some odd events since Shay's arrival—an AIDS victim goes into remission, an inmate's pet bird dies and is brought back to life, wine flows from the water faucets. The author brings other compelling elements to an already complex plot line: the priest who serves as Shay's spiritual adviser was on the jury that sentenced him; Shay's ACLU representative, Maggie Bloom, balances her professional moxie with her negative self-image and difficult relationship with her mother. Picoult moves the story along with lively debates about prisoner rights and religion, while plumbing the depths of mother-daughter relationships and examining the literal and metaphorical meanings of having heart. --

If anyone is looking for a good book right now, I would definitely pick this one up. I ordered it off of amazon.com for around $4. I have become quite the bookworm and LOVE it! My friend and I constantly have our noses in books and are always telling one another "don't even waste your time...." or "you have GOT to read this, no seriously....". Set aside some time every now and then for yourself to curl up on the couch with your favorite blanket in those pair of PJ pants you refuse to throw away and get lost in some pages!

Who you calling a jack-o-lantern??

2009-10-06T11:20:00.000-04:00

I spent my Sunday with two great friends carefully selecting, cleaning, & carving these lovely fellows! I don't know what it is about cleaning out a pumpkin, but I always laugh and have the best time while I'm doing it! I never get tired of rolling up my sleeves and pulling out all that goo & seeds...kinda therapeutic if you think about it. I never stray from the traditional pumpkin face. Probably because I could never do anything close to what my friend Jacqueline accomplished on the middle pumpkin. (mine is on the left). See...here's one from 2 years ago. Classic face, haha!

Our carving activities were accompanied with pizza and football...who could ask for a better Sunday?? So disappointed in the Tennessee Titans this year, but we won't go there...

Maybe I should stick to things like this like I made with friends last year...

I love going to festivals and fairs in the fall and eating kettle corn and chicken on a stick. I love deliberating over which color mums to buy for the porch. I love, love, love, decorating and yes, I still dress up for Halloween and love trying to figure out a couple to be...like last year, we were Mario and Princess.....

I'll spare you of any more pictures and just say Happy Fall Ya'll!!!

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...

2009-09-29T18:24:00.002-04:00

A week or so after our wedding, one of the attorneys I work with took me aside and said he wanted to tell me something. He motioned for me to come outside of my office and I became a little nervous. I thought, "oh no, what have I done?!?" He sat me down and explained to me that several years ago he was at his brother-in-law’s funeral. It was a dreary day with lots of heavy rain and inside the church you could hear the rain beating down on the roof and the continuous rumble of thunder. He said as they closed the casket, a beam of sunlight appeared and came through the back window of the church. That beam of sunlight seemed to shine on the casket and he and his wife couldn’t help but to think it was a way of knowing he was there with everyone. This attorney proceeded to tell me that after my Mom lit her part of our unity candle and was escorted out to meet me before she and I walked down the aisle, a ray of sunshine came through the chapel and briefly seemed to follow behind her. He paused and told me he wasn’t sure how I felt about things like this, but he and his wife both saw it and felt confident that ray of light was my Dad. By this point I felt like I needed to pick my chin up off the floor and I was in tears, but they were tears of joy. Joy in knowing that even if just two people noticed, my Dad was there and was watching over me on my special day. That story meant more to me than that attorney will ever know.

Today would be my Dad’s 54th birthday. I hope to be his ray of light, shining in whatever I do and making him proud. I hope he continues to show himself in small signs throughout the remainder of my life. My mom used to always sing, “You Are My Sunshine” to me for as long as I can remember….you know the one that goes, “…you’ll never know dear, how much I love you, so please don’t take my sunshine away.” It’s nice to know that even though my sunshine went away, he still finds a way to shine.

Rain, Rain...No, seriously, GO AWAY!

2009-09-22T09:22:00.001-04:00

This is what our surrounding area has had to witness the past couple of days....

Yep, that's definitely a newspaper machine.

The rain has been nonstop for around a week now. Schools and homes have flooded and some apartment buildings have been forced to evacuate. I was extremely worried about my backyard yesterday, but fortunately by the time I got home from work, the standing water had gone down quite a bit. I wouldn't have to worry about the water getting into my house, but I do have a storage shed that is attached to our carport that water would be able to get into and ruin lawn equipment, furniture, and I would lose my mind if it reached my Christmas decorations!

This is right by the exit to get to my house. I took this on my way to work this morning. I wish I could have snapped a picture of the nearby golf course...it is truly unbelievable how much water is standing on that course.

So c'mon sunshine! Bring back everyone's cheery moods and allow us to be outside and enjoy what is now officially Fall!!!!

Just how much are we missing out on?

2009-09-18T15:30:00.001-04:00

I got an email today with this story in it...it really made me stop and think.

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.... How many other things are we missing?

The verdict is in...

2009-09-17T17:31:00.003-04:00

There is no doubt that I have the utmost respect for any attorney that involves him or herself in a criminal case. There are pages of heartbreaking testimonies to review, disturbing DNA samples to evaluate, and autopsy photos that can cause even the strongest of the strong to have sleepless nights. These attorneys know what comes with the territory and yet they do it day after endless day.

With my job with these attorneys, there are days that I want to throw in the towel after pulling out each and every strand of my hair. Those days are sometimes accompanied by the ones that I’m convinced every ounce of my listening capability has been drained from me and I silently promise to break my office phone if it rings one more time. And let’s not forget about the days that with every swing of the door comes a big attitude and an even bigger complaint as opposed to a smile and some appreciation.

But then there are days when I am pleased…I am gratified. Days in which I witness families hold one another together, figuratively and literally, during a trial. Days where I have never seen a district attorney so passionate about getting a point across to the ladies and gentlemen of a jury. And most importantly, days where a victim or victim’s family looks at me in the eyes and says, thank you. Whether it’s a thank you for calling them back due to countless voicemails, or for offering them a cup of coffee after a long day in a cold, cold courtroom, everything stops for a moment and I put myself in their position. I put myself in the shoes of a daughter who has lost her mother to the hands of a vicious man. I put myself in the shoes of a person who gets the news that her best friend has been raped and beaten to death. I put myself in shoes that I hope to never be in….

Then I look right back into that person’s eyes who has thanked me, I smile, push away my “problems” and complaints and I simply say, “you’re welcome”.

Roll Gators?! Go Tide?!

2009-09-15T09:51:00.003-04:00

We have been ready for some football and feel like these first few games have just been a tease! Well, Alabama had a significant game against Virginia Tech, but my Gators haven't had the same kind of opportunity....yet! This Saturday is a big rivalry game...Florida vs. Tennessee! We plan to have the grill fired up, be in good company, play some cornhole, and let the good times roll!

I have always been a true Gators girl, but lately I have found myself becoming very, very fond of the crimson and houndstooth...hence the title of this blog! I always want to combine my love for both! I will say Tuscaloosa is an unforgettable atmosphere for games and I have had a memorable experience each time I have been there. My friend Jacqueline sent me this for my birthday and how could I not want to be a Roll Tide fan and sport this?!?

Touchdowns, chili, sweaters, & tailgating...I'm ready & waiting!!!

Honeymoon

2009-09-13T13:01:00.013-04:00

Dictionary.com defines it as "hon*ey*moon (noun) : any period of blissful harmony". That is exactly how I would describe the fabulous cruise we went on for our honeymoon. We had never been on a cruise before, so the fact that it was a new experience for the both of us that we were able to share together made it even more special!

If you have never been on a cruise, it is absolutely unreal and I'm convinced there will never be another one like my first one. I had no idea what to expect. Even the lobby of the ship is mind-blowing.

We were amazed at how much activity went on during the cruise. The staff slid an itinerary under our door every day of what would be taking place on the ship. There were drink creation competitions, line dancing classes, vegas style shows, fire throwing magicians, and much, much more. I think our favorite night was when we got selected to play on The Newlywed Game. We were up agains 2 other couples. One couple had been married 15 years and the last couple had been married 65 years!! It was amazing and gratifying to see how well not only Howard and I knew each other, but to see that after 65 years that a married couple still knew things about each other from much earlier on in their relationship! This is us with the cruise director, Jenn, who came on the ship's intercom every day and highly entertained everyone! (sorry for the blur in the picture!) We won a nice bottle of champagne and a trophy that got broken in our luggage, but I succesfully glued back together, ha!

Our favorite stop was Isla Roatan, Honduras. It was beautiful. Sandy white beaches, clear yet bright blue waters, and Jimmy Buffett and Bob Marley songs everywhere you went! We had a great cab driver who took us atop mountains with amazing views and he was so proud of what this island off of the mainland had to offer tourists like us.

I loved the formal cruise dinners...but then again I love getting dressed up for anything! The dinner selections on the "Cruise Elegant" nights were more exotic and unusual that the "Cruise Casual" nights. Howard surprised me on our last night with a reservation to the Golden Fleece restaurant that was on the top floor of the ship. Reservations at this restaurant were not included in the cruise fare, but we both agreed it was well worth it because the food was some of the best we have EVER had! We toted our bottle of champagne from The Newlywed Game to this dinner and had a wonderful, memorable last night.

A great deal of time was spent in the casino as well! Howard always seems to gravitate towards the blackjack tables. For some reason card tables make me a nervous wreck...and I always play the slot machines, but become bored and broke! But my friends, I found a new machine that a 20 dollar bill could last a good hour in, but never reaped much of any benefit. I would never waste my time on them in arcades, but when were in the casino, I swear I would just be drawn to it like bugs are to a light!

I will close with this picture with today being my 25th birthday! This was in Cozumel, Mexico with several other photo props that I can never pass up. I am a sucker for pictures, well, and for cake! Can't wait to celebrate with mouth-watering Provino's and loved ones tonight!

These vs. Those...but why?

2009-09-01T15:30:00.004-04:00

Everyone is always cheering for our their own separate team.

Today, in my eyes, is Fall's way of announcing that is it most definitely on it's way because it is now September. Fall always means one main thing, football season. Two opposing teams playing the most tactical offense and a strong protective defense as they yearn for the same goal, victory. It's all about the win.

Sometimes we encounter different situations in life with our main concern being, "how can I win this one?" and "how can I make my team look the best?" or "how can I come out on top?". These questions are best answered on the football field and not effective in all areas of life. We don't always have to hide behind our team's colors or be sure to not show any signs of weakness to our opponents. Half the time our opponents don't even want to be on the other side of the field. It may seem that way, but they really just want to win with you, rather than beat you. Sometimes we're too wrapped up in attacking their weak points and doing all those little things that they cannot stand.

A team can only defend themselves for so long. They can become worn down and begin to let things slip through the cracks. They wonder, "why am I even playing anymore? I know I can't win." This team loses hope and wonders if their score will always be on the losing end. And it's always the same plays that knock them to the ground. No matter how much they prepare themselves, it seems as though they are always blind sided and left with scrapes and bruises and those little birds flying around their heads.

So ask yourself...is it really worth it to put on all that gear each and every day? Life's supposed to be a dance, and doesn't always require a winner. Leave the tackling to the guys on the field.

"We can't move ahead if we're trying to get even." - Frank Tyger

Throw a Hello

2009-08-31T14:55:00.004-04:00

That's me. That is a beach-loving, Fall-adoring, life-cherishing, picture-taking, book-reading, nonstop-laughing, newlywed. There is not a method to my madness. My life definitely didn't come with a set of instructions and there's been surprises around every corner. I have become a firm believer in the saying, "each day is a gift, that's why it's called the present". I want to make a difference in people's lives, but haven't just yet figured out how. I think that finding out that one day, a person went home and said, "let me tell you about this great girl I met today" would be one of the most gratifying moments ever. I hope to entertain and enlighten with my entries. So sit back, relax, and I'll take you to Hale and back.