Wedding Pictures II

Now it's time for a select number of photos taken by Bridemaid Tyler. Can I just say, Tyler is one of the most photogenic people I know.


Rylen and Sarah.


Look at me, ahhhh...


Rylen and Jim with most of their families.


Like mother, like daughter.


Tyler and Rachel.


Maid of Honor and Best Man.


The Bride after a quick bite to eat.


Close up!


The neighbors...


Woot, woot! Go Dave!


Rylen and Kim gettin' their groove on.


Brett at his best.

Wedding of the Century!

The wedding is over folks! Rylen and Jim are married. The party is over. The dress is in need of a dry cleaner. I've got some pictures to share with you. And as I get pictures from others I'll share those as well. So enjoy!

Brett with one of the beautiful bouquets.

The beautiful, not so blushing, bride.

Rachie on the party bus. WootWoot!

Dave and I after dinner.

Annie Anne cuttin' a rug.

Steve has got his priorities, beer THEN dancing!

Jim bustin' a move.

Sarah and her man Dave (he's Canadian).

Tyler dancin' a jig.

Random Facts about ME!

Body Basics.
001. How tall are you?: 5'4"
002. Are you happy with your height?: I'm average. I like being average.
003. How much do you weigh?: Well, pay attention to my little weight ticker. But the actually weight will not be revealed.
004. Are you happy with your weight?: Content? Sure. Happy or satisfied? No.
005. What's your BMI? According to the BMI Chart, I weight too much for my height.
006. Are you at a healthy weight?: Nope, see above.
007. Did you ever have some type of eating disorder?: Well, if you consider following a diet an eating disorder, then yes. But I like food too much to not eat. Throwing up is gross. And I can't remember to take a pill for the life of me. So I think I'm safe.
008. Are you one of those people who can eat ANYTHING and never get fat?: HA!
009. How old are you?: 27 and holding.
010. Do you look your age?: I get different answers from different people. Most think I look younger...

General Health.
021. Does any disease run in your family?: Sure. Doesn't every family carry one?
022. When was your last doctor's appointment?: June.
023. When was your last gyno appointment?: December. Cyst check up in June though.
024. Are you due for any shots?: Ick, no.
025. Are you allergic to anything? Grasses, weeds, pollens, work.
026. Do you have allergies?: What's the point of this question? Wasn't I just asked the same thing?
027. Do you have asthma?: Nope
028. Do you take a vitamin daily?: If I remember, yes. Chewable multi vitamin.
029. Ever broke a bone?: Pinky toe, and pinky finger.
030. Ever got surgery?: Yep.

Oral health.
031. When was your last dentist appointment?: June.
032. Do you have braces? If so, what colors? Yep. Depended on the time of the year or holiday. Duh!
033. If you have braces, do you need to wear rubber bands?: No longer.
034. Ever got a cavity drilled?: All the sudden I have a surplus of them.
035. Ever got a root canal?: No, and hope to never have one.
036. Did you still feel pain even though you were on novacaine?: Not pain, but definitely can feel something.
037. What toothpaste do you use?: Minty, teeth whitening kind
038. How long do you keep a toothbrush before getting rid of it?: The recommended 6 months.
039. How often do you brush your teeth?: At least once a day.
040. Do you use mouth wash? If so, what kind? When I remember. Can't remember what kind though.

Eyes.
041. Do you have perfect vision?: Ha, no!
042. Do you have glasses or contacts?: Yes, both.
043. Do you sit too close to the computer and/or television?: Probably.
044. Ever stare at the sun and then see weird shapes?: Honestly, who stares at the sun?
045. If you wear glasses/contacts, can you see without them?: Barely.
046. Do you know anyone with perfect eyesight?: I'm sure I do.
047. What color are your eyes?: Green.
048. If you have contacts, are they colored?: Nope.
049. Do you look dorky with glasses?: I don't know, you tell me.
050. If you have dark eyes, do you carry the recessive gene for blue/green eyes?: I am the recessive gene, so yes.

Physical health.
051. How many pull-ups can you do?: In what time frame?
052. How many push-ups can you do?: Quite a bit.
053. Are you good at gym?: I hate the gym.
054. Can you run fast and long?: Not with my short legs and big boobs.
055. Do you get cramps after running too long?: Yes.
056. Can you run the mile without stopping?: Haven't tried in a long time.
057. What was your best cross-country time?: Can't remember. Only did cross country for one season. Blah!
058. Do you make up excuses to get out of gym?: No, just didn't try as hard.
059. Do you play any sports?: Not right now.
060. If not, why?: No one to play with...

Hair.
061. How long is your hair?: Mid, soon to be shorter
062. Do you have bangs?: Nope.
063. When was your last haircut?: June/July. Have another one on Thursday.
064. What do you do to your hair in the morning?: Depends how I had it before I went to bed. I have temperamental hair!
065. Do you straighten/curl/whatever your hair or do you wear it natural?:
Natural = curly/wavy. So I wear it all of the ways mentioned above.
066. Do you wear your hair up or down most of the time?: Down
067. Do you have any split ends?: Most likely lots of them.
068. Do you cut your own hair?: Um, no. I'd probably end up having to shave it from messing it up so bad.
069. What was your worst haircut?: Toss up between beginning of my Senior year in HS or a few years ago when I chopped it all off. Bad idea.
071. Ever have a bob haircut?: It's been awhile.


Miscellaneous; This or That.

071. Pads or tampons?: What kind of question is this, seriously!?!?
072. Glasses or contacts?: Both
073. Skinny or curvy?: Hourglass
074. Light eyes or dark eyes?: Medium
075. Tan or pale?: Medium
076. Shaving or natural?: Shave
077. Curly or straight hair?: Curly/Wavy
078. Frizzy or managable hair?: Frizzy, but manageable most of the time.
079. Tall or short?: Average
080. Long or short nails?: Short. I end up chewing them off.

A time to grieve

Today, after many months of pain and suffering, my Nana passed away. I feel blessed that I had the opportunity to say goodbye yesterday, as did most of the rest of my family. My Aunt from Hawaii was here about a week ago, and got to spend time with her. After Nana had asking for my Uncle for the past week, he finally came down today to say goodbye also. Within 2 minutes of him being in the room she had gone on to heaven. Isn't it just amazing that in her semi-conscious state she still knew that he was in the room and that it was time. I'm glad that she is no longer suffering and is eternally resting.

Live it up Tahoe Style!

Ok, so I'm finally getting around to posting a blog about my Tahoe weekend, celebrating Rylen's last few weeks as a single woman. I can best tell you about my weekend with pictures :)
(*Disclaimer, it was the weekend of boobs for me...)

Friday most of us took the day off from work so we could get up there early, miss traffic and relax before our evening plans. After getting to the cabin and unloading the car we hopped online (yep, the cabin had wifi!) to search restaurants for our Friday night dinner.


We made our plans, cleaned up and dolled up, and decided to have a pre-going out drink.




And then 4 (out of the soon to be 6 of us) headed out to Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and the start of drinks. We started it off with shots then a round of drinks for all!


After dinner, we made our way to the Piano Bar and we put on our dancing shoes and cut a big ol' rug. We sang, we danced, we drank. And then our 4 became 5 with the arrival of Kim from Colorado.


We made friends with the DJ, Al. He had a thing for me... :)

After a late night we headed back to the cabin and called it a night. Saturday morning Sarah arrived from Sacramento. We got dressed and ready and headed out to shop, have lunch, and get tattoos, well almost. Yes, that's right, I was *this* close to getting a tattoo, but the wait was too long and I didn't have a good picture of what I wanted. We then decided to go take pictures by the lake and then go back to the cabin so Rylen could open her presents and relax.

Rylen received some, um, toys to play with. As well as some stuff for Jim. We all snacked some, napped some, then cleaned up and dolled up for another night out on the Tahoe Strip. We headed to Cabo Wabo for dinner, tequila, and a free pitcher of margaritas!

Pretty much the rest of the night we were at the piano bar again. Again we danced, we drank, we sang along with the songs. Some had sugar poured out them by the bartender. We signed bachelor party boob shirts. We wore boas. We got feathers all over the place. We had a grand time! (and quite honestly, there are too many good pictures to choose from of all the dancing)


So now, with only 2 days before THE wedding, we're not going to be celebrating Rylen's singledom, but her marriage and their future. Here's to you Neen!

One Year

♥JANUARY♥

1. Who kissed you on new years?
I didn't kiss anyone :( Let's pray for this 2008!

2. Did you have a New Year's Resolution this year?
I made a resolution to make monthly resolutions. Kapish?

3. Does it snow where you live?
No very often. But it does sometimes.

4. Do you like hot chocolate?
Oh yea. 'Specially with some peppermint schnapps and mini marshmallows. Oh, and you have to stir it with a candy cane. Trust me!

5. Did you go to Times Square to watch the ball drop?
No. Didn't even watch it on TV. Some year I'd like to go somewhere big for New Year's Eve.

♥FEBRUARY♥

1. Who was your Valentine?
I hid in a hole on Valentines Day.

2. When you were little did you buy Valentine's for the whole class?
Heck yea!

3. Do you care if the groundhog sees its shadow or not?
I haven't studied the statistics to see if the fortune telling groundhog can really tell if winter will be longer or not.

4. What did you receive for Valentines Day?
Nothing. No one could find me because I was hiding.

5. What did you give for Valentine's Day?
See above.

♥MARCH♥

1. Are you Irish?
A little bit, yes.

2.Do you like corned beef and cabbage?
Corned beef yes, cabbage no. I can smell what it does to people. No thanks!

3. What did you do for St. Patty's Day in 2007?
I can't remember... I took the puppies to get their shots. It was Jim's birthday. That's all my calendar tells me.

4. Are you happy when winter is pretty much over?
Pretty much, yea.

♥APRIL♥

1. Do you like the rain?
I LOVE the rain! Of course we didn't get a lot of it this year :(

2. Did you play an April fool's joke on anyone this year?
I suck at playing jokes. I can't keep a straight face.

3. Do you get tons of candy for easter?
Just a big See's Bordeaux egg shaped chocolate and some of those malt egg things.

4. Do you celebrate 4/20?
Do I look like someone that celebrates 4/20?!?! Seriously!

5. Do you love the month of April?
I don't "love" it, but it's a good month.

♥MAY♥

1. What is your favorite flower?
Blue hydrangeas!

3. Finish the phrase "April showers...":
bring May flowers

4. Do you celebrate May 16th: National Piercing Day?
No, I celebrate the day 2 days before :)

5. Is May anything special to you?
YES! Lots happens in that month. My birthday, Mom's day (sometimes on my birthday), Dad's birthday, did I mention my birthday?

♥JUNE♥

1. What year did/will you graduate from high school?
1998, 10 year reunion coming up!

2. Did you do anything fun during this Month?
Sure I did... but don't ask what they were.

3. Have a favorite baseball team?
I'm a Giants fan, but I don't watch the sport. Yea, I know.

♥JULY♥

1. What did you do on the 4th of July?
BBQ at my house, skipped out on fireworks because it was too hot to get out of the pool.

2. Did you go to the fireworks?
See above

3. Did you blast the A/C all day?
I don't pay the power bill, so I can't control the A/C. So I got out of the house a lot and went to A/C.

♥AUGUST♥

1. Are you doing anything special at the end of your summer?
I did lots of stuff throughout the summer. All of it was fun and special.

2. What was your favorite summer memory of '07?
So far, the weekend in Tahoe!

3. Did you have a sunburn?
I got a little red, but never burned or peeled.

4. Did you go to the pool a lot?
This summer, yes!

♥SEPTEMBER♥

1. Will you be attending college/school?
No, all done with that phase of my life.

2. Do you like fall better than summer?
I like the weather change in the fall.

3. Plan on anything to happen this month?
I went to Tahoe. Went to A wedding. Other things happened too.

♥OCTOBER♥

1. What was your last Halloween costume?
Ummmmm.... I plead the fifth, I didn't wear one.

2. What is your favorite candy?
All of it :)

3. What is your favorite thing about this month?
Well, Rylen's wedding (this year), and Oktoberfest (every year).

♥NOVEMBER♥

1. Whose house do you go to for Thanksgiving?
Everyone comes to my parent's house.

2. What are you thankful for?
Family, Friends, Freedom, etc.

3. Do you love stuffing?
Mashed potatoes and stuffing, yum my favorite.

♥DECEMBER♥

1. Do you celebrate Christmas?
The birth of my Savior, yes.

2. Have you ever been kissed under the mistletoe?
I think I have. But it's been so long :(

3. Get anything special last year?
I was given a small delicate cross necklace with a little diamond on it.

4. What do you want this year?
A KitchenAid. Better yet, a completed house to move into.

5. What do you love most about December?
The day off from work. This year I'll be going to NY also.

Now tell me the "12 Months About Me!"

Bring on October!

Here comes the busy month of October. Who'd have thought October of all months would be busy. So my resolutions are:

1. Continute to try to actively seek God in my day to day life, worshiping Him and bring Him glory. Being like Jesus to people.

2. No point trying to lose 35 pounds in the next 8 days for the wedding. But I can work on losing weight for my own quality of life. So it's time to change my eating habits by eating the daily recommended amount of fruits and veggies every day. Baby steps...

3. Go somewhere at least an hour away from home! Possibly camping at the best place to camp at the end of the month.

4. Find someone that can refinish furniture. I have a dining room set (table, chairs, and hutch) that all need to be refinished to remove scratches and stained a darker color. I'd do it myself, but there are too many curves to deal with, plus I don't have somewhere covered to do it right now.

5. Exercise - walk, Bosu ball, jump rope...

6. Have at least one major thing completed on the house. To have all base boards sanded and walls cleaned (for now).

7. Do something BOLD or DARING! Hummmm....I have some ideas.... Probably not the wisest or cleanest thoughts... Muahahaha...

8. Make it to IKEA to purchase couch and entertainment unit for house.

9. Have the best darn Oktoberfest yet!

10. Dance my little heart out at Rylen and Jim's wedding!

Adios Septembre

September's Resolutions Results...

1. Actively seek God in my day to day life, worshiping Him and bring Him glory. Being like Jesus to people. Hold me accountable, please.
I suck at this one. I need help. At least Bible Study started back up this past week.

2. Change my eatting habits. By doing this it'll be easier to losing weight. There are only 35 days until the wedding that I'm in. I know I can do this!
Ok, so I think I'm eating better as far as less calories. But now it's time to start focusing on eating proper low calorie foods. You know, that 5 servings of veggies a day.

3. Go somewhere at least an hour away from home - Tahoe here I come!
Woot Woot! That was one of the best darn weekends all summer. I know, you haven't seen pictures yet. Hummm...What happens in Tahoe stays in Tahoe...? I'll find some appropriate ones to post for you.

4. Quit rewarding myself with food. Time to reward myself with something different. A pedicure, manicure, new shirt, or purse, or whatever (and I'm making enough money to do that and not worry too much now!).
How about I didn't really reward myself with much of anything... I took the money saving route.

5. Exercise. Swim, walk, Bosu ball, anything! I found that Pilates makes me sore = working muscles that need to be worked. Time to do that more often.
I did pilates a number of times in September with Rylen. I didn't throw a hammer around as much as last month.

6. Have at least one major thing completed on the house. Attempt to have bathroom partially done.
So, we have windows. Did we have new windows last month? I can't remember. But now we do. Things are at a bit of financial stand still. Not from lack of funds, more of an appraisal stand point... More on that later.

7. Do something BOLD or DARING!
Ok, so I was *this* close to getting a little tattoo while in Tahoe...

8. Purchase couch for house.
Yea, never made it to IKEA. But the money is set aside in savings just for it.

9. Start tanning again. I can't be a white bridesmaid...
I'm well on my way of being a brown bug. No more whiteness.

House Sitting

So I am currently house sitting. I'm house sitting for family friends that own probably one of the largest homes in Hilmar. So I'm out here, 6 miles from civilization all by myself. It's very quiet and kinda erie. So here's a questions for you. Have you ever seen a stuffed Hippo head? In case you haven't I can tell you where to find one. Down in the wine cellar. Yes, there is a stuffed hippo head in the wine cellar. Where else would you put it silly?

In Memory...

An odd thing happened last week. My Uncle Malcolm (uncle by marriage) posted a bulletin on myspace.com through his nephew's site. It was a plead. Apparently, Sam had been missing for 72 hours and his family didn't know of his where abouts. Knowing Sam is an avid cyclist, hiker and photographer I figured that he must be out doing just that. So I said a little prayer. Today I wondered, hum, I wonder how Sam is, if anyone has found out where he had been. Unfortunately, Sam McFarlane was found, just not in the condition that his family was praying for. Wednesday, September 19th, Sam McFarlane (my cousin by marriage) was found dead in a ravine in New Mexico. This is extremely tragic. And I will forever remember the time that I was able to hang with and get to know him while visiting my aunt and uncle a few years ago in Santa Fe.


Below is his obituary as printed in the Albuquerque Journal:
Obituary for MCFARLANE
Published in the Albuquerque Journal on Monday September 24, 2007
Samuel Sanders McFarlane, 27, a resident of Albuquerque and graduate student at UNM in Photography and an avid cyclist, went home with Jesus on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. He is survived by his parents, Graham and Lee McFarlane of Dallas; brothers, Joshua Jemison McFarlane and wife, Emma of Memphis, TN and Benjamin Williams McFarlane and wife, Jill of Kalispell, MT; nieces, Violet Kathleen McFarlane, Eve Leeann McFarlane; nephew, Josiah Benjamin McFarlane; grandparents, Eva and Bill Jemison, Jr. of Memphis, TN; aunts and uncles, Gay and Mike Rhodes, Julie and Bill Jemison III, Jan and Roger Possner, Bonnie Rivers, Cheryl and Don Bartlett, Carla and Raymond Roy, and Megan and Malcom McFarlane; and many cousins. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Frances and John McFarlane of Atlanta, GA. We grieve at the loss of our beautiful Samuel, but we are assured he is in the arms of Jesus having passed over the Crystal River and upward into the Celestial City. He was such a light. He loved beauty, the mountains, his brothers, his friends. He was a gentle soul who portrayed creative majesty and love in the brilliant way of photography. He was so gifted but too tender for this world. We picture him dancing with Jesus, never more alive, never more home, never more happy. He would want to tell you to never give up hope, life is fragile, life is precious, and there is always joy in the morning. He was a precious son whose name Samuel means, "Heard of God." Truly God has heard our prayers for Samuel and we who live with the joy and expectant hope of saving faith in Jesus Christ our Lord are looking forward to being with Samuel again in the City of God. Services will be held on Monday, September 24, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. at French Mortuary - Lomas Blvd. NE, 10500 Lomas NE. The family would love to see and welcome as many members of his University of New Mexico community as can attend. Interment in the mountains is expected to follow. French Mortuary, Inc. 10500 Lomas Blvd. NE 505.275.3500 www.frenchmortuary.com

If you are interested in viewing some of Sam's photography please stop by his website at www.sammcfarlane.com.

Please pray for peace and healing for the McFarlane family during this hard time.

Honore Wedding

On September 15th I attended a wedding. A very hotie, totie wedding held in my home town. The groom was a classmate of mine, and his family are good family friends. Here are a few pictures for you. Sorry, none are of the bride and groom...

Me before hand.


(Hilmar) Cheese display. Yummmm...cheese...


My and my BFF. She's getting married in 2 1/2 weeks!


My BFF and her Fiance!

House Update

Update on the house for you with pictures!...

1. The kitchen is completely gutted. Well, except for the dishwasher that is bolted to the floor. Here is a picture of the before.


2. The bathroom is completely gutted. Even the spot where the medicine cabinet sits in the wall.


3. The doors that are propped against the wall in the living room are now hung with care.


4. The lone chest sitting in the middle of the living room has been cleaned up and stained and painted.


5. All of the windows have been replaced.

Ok, so I don't have current up-to-date photos, but I will. Camera battery died though :(

On the road again

Today I pack. Tomorrow I travel to Lake Tahoe. Yeah!

If you need to find me, I'll be staying in this cabin:

But I'm guessing if it's urgent the cell phone would be a better option.

Please pray for safe travel. Safe bachelorette party celebrating. Good weather (it's supposed to be in the 60's all weekend with some raining). And good times had by all.

Is red the new yellow?

This is a typical scenario that I've witnessed lately:
I'm driving in town, going from here to there. Having a red stop light I, as the law abiding citizen, stop. My light turns green. Green means go, right? Wrong. I've got to wait because vehicles decided to just blow right through their red light.

How does that happen? What makes a person think it's ok to throw caution to the wind and risk their life, and others, and run a light? Honestly! This situation happens to me daily. I know darn well that if I decided go through a light like that a cop would caught me and hand me a fat ticket. So where are the cops for all the rest of these goons? Why is everyone in such a hurry that they can't wait the few extra minutes at a light?

So this is how it apparently looks now:
Green = stop a little longer
Yellow = goes fast
Red = Go, go, go

You can't go wrong...

than spending an evening with friends having dinner. (That'd would be 99% fat free chili for me and regular chili for the rest.) Hanging out. Drinkin' some wine. And relaxing. Nice.

I can see clearly now...

That the dusty, dirty, old, icky windows are gone. Well, almost gone. Don's Mobile glass will start installion of the 21 new windows tomorrow! YEAH! Dad was installing the new back door today. And another truck load was taken to the dump. Tonight, after someone has come and talked to us about what they can do to help with the construction side of things, I'm going to close all the (old) windows and set off some bug bombs. Kill whatever spiders, ants, and other creepy crawlies are left in the house.

I think the fire has finally been lit...

House Update

Slowly little by little things are getting done. And I know I told you that I'd post pictures, and I will, I promise! So here's what we got done over the weekend:
-Load of cabinets and counters to the dump
-New front door installed!!!
-Cabinets in utility room knocked out (I did it all by myself)
-Spray painted the new layout on the floor (dad said he wanted to see it drawn out...)
-Windows are all in at Don's, now to just schedule them to come install
-Took a trip to Lowe's with family. Nothing was purchased, but one thing was accomplished. Dad said to just go ahead and schedule Lowe's to come measure for cabinets to have them install them. Got prices for bathroom stuff, now to just have a plan and purchase.
-Construction guy friend going to come tomorrow to look at things and tell us what he can do, what we can do, etc.

Tada! It was a busy weekend at the House. As an incentive (hopefully), I told him I would host appetizers and wine for Thanksgiving. So we'll see...

Weekend Ahead

So as I'm sitting here thinking about my weekend, I'm realizing that I've got quite a bit going on. Let me give you a quick snippet of what I KNOW I'm doing.
- I'm taking a trip to Lowe's to purchase bathroom stuff (toilet, tub, vanity w/ sick, etc.). Hopefull this will be happening tonight, but it depends on how dad is feeling after a routine procedure he's having done this morning. If not, tomorrow afternoon or Sunday will be the trip.
- Big giant huge fancy smancy wedding to attend tomorrow evening. We're talking 550 people sit down serve. The groom was a high school classmate, we went through the same confirmation class at church, went to the same college (where he took a few extra years to party), good family friends all around. I'm ready to party like a rock star. (I'll post pictures after the shindig)
- *crossing fingers* Taking a trip to IKEA to purchase couches Sunday.
- Working on house when I can.
- Finish the Oktoberfest invitation, get them to Kinko's to get copies made, finish the labels, and get them in the mail.
- Oh, and I just told HCC Catering (past employer) that I could help set up tomorrow morning for said giant wedding mentioned above. They are desparate for help. I can use some extra money. So why not?
- Church. Let's pray I can make it this Sunday. I've been a heathen lately. Bad me!

Wow, that's all I can think of for now. I'll enjoy the resting while I can get it. Like next weekend in Tahoe...

New Job

Can I just say that I'm thoroughly enjoying my new job! It just dawned on me that today is Thursday. I'm just skating through the week without really caring or worrying what day of the week it is. Now, if I were still working in the VC I would have been counting down the days until Friday starting Monday. Although I've got a lot yet to learn with my new position in QA, I'm enjoying the environment, co-workers, everything. That's all I have to say about that. God does bless those that are patient.

The End.

House Progress

So, here's what we have completed with the house in the past month (pictures to follow later).

- Had a yard sale in August to sell stuff and empty house. Whatever was left over got moved to the church for the church yard sale in October.
- Bathroom completely gutted!
- 75% complete with removing cabinets and counter in kitchen.
- Removed felt pad in living room. Did this mainly to remove any smell being held in it and to reduce dust.
- Removed mid-wall trim and crown molding in kitchen and utility room.
- Purchased new front and back door!
- Central heating and air installed.
- Cabinets, counter, and back splash picked out for kitchen.

There is still a TON to do. We're not even close to the painting stage, but hopefully soon enough we will be. Feel free to stop by if you're in the neighborhood. I'd be happy to give a tour!

September

Time for September's resolutions...

1. Actively seek God in my day to day life, worshiping Him and bring Him glory. Being like Jesus to people. Hold me accountable, please.

2. Change my eatting habits. By doing this it'll be easier to losing weight. There are only 35 days until the wedding that I'm in. I know I can do this!

3. Go somewhere at least an hour away from home - Tahoe here I come!

4. Quit rewarding myself with food. Time to reward myself with something different. A pedicure, manicure, new shirt, or purse, or whatever (and I'm making enough money to do that and not worry too much now!).

5. Exercise. Swim, walk, Bosu ball, anything! I found that Pilates makes me sore = working muscles that need to be worked. Time to do that more often.

6. Have at least one major thing completed on the house. Attempt to have bathroom partially done.

7. Do something BOLD or DARING!

8. Purchase couch for house.

9. Start tanning again. I can't be a white bridesmaid...

Bye Bye August

August Resolution Results

1. Actively seek God in my day to day life, worshiping Him and bring Him glory. Being like Jesus to people. Hold me accountable people, please.
Ok, so I'm a complete heathen. I haven't gone to church in months. Pray for me. I've fallen off the wagon. Not that I'm doing bad things, I'm just not where I was a year ago.

2. Losing weight. Summer is almost over, and I only have 2 months left until my best friend's wedding in October. My goal, which is totally obtainable, is to lose 10 pounds (5 pounds per month) by then. For those of you that I eat out with regularly, please hold me to it.
I don't think I lost any weight. But, I did start walking with Rylen fairly regularly, even in the heat! I feel I'm eating better and exercising, just not getting any results. Grrrr...

3. Go somewhere at least an hour away from home.
I went to IKEA in Sacramento, does that count?

4. Quit rewarding myself with food. Time to reward myself with something different. A pedicure, manicure, new shirt, or purse, or whatever (and I'm making enough money to do that and not worry too much now!).
I don't know how you gauge this one.

5. Exercise. Swim, walk, Bosu ball, anything!
Walking about 3 times a week, or doing pilates. Plus at work alone I walk about 2 miles, no joke I clocked it with a pedimeter.

6. Try to be at the painting stage by the end of the month at the house across the street. Which mind you, as soon as it's done I can move it. But there is lots to do to it.
Yea, who was I kidding. We're not at the painting stage yet. Not even close, but we are closer. I do have a new front and back door, just not installed yet.

7. Do something BOLD or DARING!
Hummmmm.... I don't think I did this. Oh, I bought a plane ticket to go to New York!

Wanna hear a funny story...?

I always knew I was in store for a "funny story" when my college roommate would come home from where ever she had been and would ask me, "Wanna hear a funny story?" Those were great times, times that I will remember and cherish. What's great is that after living 3 years outside of the state, on the other side of the country, she's moving back with her husband and daughter. I was lucky to be one of their stops on the last leg of their trek back from Sacramento to Fresno. It was great to see them, even though it's only been a couple months. My family got to see them, some of whom had never met Macie.

But I do have a funny, no really it was an ahhhh, story for you. I was sitting on the kitchen floor with Macie in my lap while everyone was standing around visiting. Now, mind you, Macie just turned 2 years old. She turned and looked up at me with her big blue eyes and her little sweet voice and said, "I so happy to see you." Ahhhhh, my heart melted and I shed a tear. She's so precious.

But watch out Melissa! I'm gonna get to share with Macie all of her mommy's "funny stories".

Fire Lighting

Have you ever tried lighting a fire under someone's butt to get a move on things, but they really aren't in any hurry? That's where I am right now. I'm trying to suggest a sense of urgency on getting going full speed on the house, but I keep getting turned down. I ask Mom, please call so and so to have them come out and look at things, mainly to get their professional opinion before we do anything detrimental. She doesn't. I ask Dad, what can we do now? What can we knock down? We're about at a stand point until we get answers. He says, draw up some plans on what you'd like to have done. But I want to know what we CAN do before I spend time drawing plans. Grrrr! Don't they understand that once the house is livable that I'll be moving OUT of their house and INTO that one? Crimney!

FACTS and SECRETS

Best, Last, Today, Tomorrow, Favorite, Currently, and True or False.

Best...
1. Friend: my neighbor

2. Cousin: hummm....

3. Things to do: travel

4. Time of Day: super late at night when I get my second wind

5. Day of the week: Friday

6. Food: ice cream

7. Memory: so many, which one do I choose...?

Last...

8. Person you saw: where? right now, my brother

9. Talked to on the phone: Katie, right now.

10. Text: Rylen

11. IMed: ????

Today...

12. What are you doing now: watching Scrubs and filling this out

13. What are you wearing right now? jeans and a cute top (what I wore to work)

14. Better than yesterday? it's Friday, so yes

Tomorrow
15. Is : busy working on the house

16. Plans: maybe dinner with J&A

17. Dislikes about tomorrow? busy working on the house

Currently...

18. Missing: my childhood

19. Mood: easy going, chill, relaxed

20. Wanting: to be done with the house so I can move in

True or False:

[I am a cuddler] true

[I am a morning person] false

[I am a perfectionist] true/false

[I am an only child] false

[I am currently in pajamas] false

[I am shy with the opposite gender] pretty much true

[I can be paranoid at times] true

[I like country music] true

[I enjoy talking on the phone] true

[I have a hidden talent] false

[I have all my grandparents] false

[I have or had broken a bone] true (as long as a toe counts)

[I have changed a lot over the past year] grown, true

[I have done something illegal] true

[I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color] true. But then again if they haven't seen my natural hair, which I've had for awhile, then maybe they aren't truly my friend.

[I have had major/minor surgery] true

[I have had the cops called on me] false

Today
-----------

1. Talk to a boy/girl you like? no

2. Learn anything new? no

3. Talk to an ex? no

4. Miss someone? no

-Last Person-
------------------------

5. Laid in your bed? me

6. Made you cry? mom

7. You went to the movies with? J and G

8. Went to the mall with you? Chris

9. You showered with? no one

10. Who Made you laugh? Paige


--General stuff--
-------------------

11. Favorite location? with friends

12. What are you most scared of this second? never finding love and getting married

13. Where do you want to get married? somewhere pretty and romantic

14. Does anyone like you? doubt it

15. Do you like being around people? most of the time yes

16. Have you ever cried? duh, yes

17. Are you lonely right now? yes

18. Song stuck in your head? nope

19. Been on radio/tv: yes

20. What is your favorite color? turquiose

21. Ever liked someone who treated you like crap? no

22. What color shirt do you have on? purple

23. How much cash do you have on you right now? $1.67

24. Are you bored? yes

25. Whats your favorite show? Grey's Anatomy

26. Who got you to join Myspace? my siblings

27. Wish someone was next to you this morning when you woke up? sure

28. What web sites do you visit the most? myspace, my email, friend's blog

29. Do you have plants in your room? what room?

30. Who was the last person to hug you? Paige

Secrets

1. WHAT IS YOUR DISPLAY NAME ABOUT? my name...

2. WHERE WAS YOUR DEFAULT PICTURE TAKEN? my "room"

3. WHATS YOUR HEADLINE MEAN? exactly what it says

4. HONESTLY, IF SOMEONE WERE TO TELL YOU HOW THEY FELT, WOULD YOU LISTEN? definitely!

5. WHAT'S YOUR MOST VALUED POSSESSIONS? my puppies

6. HOW ARE THINGS IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP? what relationship? friends? going good!

7. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, AND CHANGE SOMETHING, WOULD YOU? of course

8. IF YOU MUST BE AN ANIMAL FOR ONE DAY, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? a turtle...

9. EVER HAD A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE? I've had a life threatening experience.

10. WHO DID YOU COPY AND PASTE THIS FROM? Abby

11. HAVE YOU EVER SANG IN FRONT OF A LARGE CROWD? yes

12. WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE BOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX? general appearance

13. WHAT DO YOU USUALLY ORDER FROM STARBUCKS?? a 2 shot, tall, non fat, no whip, white chocolate mocha

14. DO YOU STILL WATCH KIDDY MOVIES OR TV SHOWS? sometimes, Disney channel isn't that bad!

15. DO YOU HAVE BRACES? not anymore

16. NAME SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU TODAY: I purchased stuff for Rylen's bachelorette weekend... muahahahaha...

17. DO YOU SPEAK ANY OTHER LANGUAGE? spanish, kinda

18. IS THERE SOMEONE ON YOUR MIND NOW? kinda

19.WHAT HURTS YOU AT THE MOMENT? my back aches

A Work in Progress

So a few years back my family purchased the house from an elderly man that lives across the street from us. At the end of May, the man's family finally got him to move into an assisted living facility. So, now comes the remodeling of the house, being as the house hasn't been cleaned in over 30 years. It's a bit disgusting, but with the right TLC it'll be a really cute house. Here are some pictures of the house. Keep in mind, we went in last February and cleaned a majority of the trash (old newspapers, junk mail, to-go boxes) out in a giant dumpster. We had another dumpster a couple weeks ago that collected the rest of the junk/crap/trash.

This first group of pictures (taken end of June, beginning of July) were taken before we went in and cleaned with the 2nd dumpster:
View when you first walked in the back door.


Picture of the kitchen. Just think what it was like before we cleaned out the cabinet.


View from the kitchen down the hallway to the master bedroom. Ick!


Dining room area with builting cabinets. The table last winter was no joke pile about 2 feet tall of junk mail!


Part of the living room. Wouldn't you want to live there?


Picture taken of master bed room. Believe it or not, there is a bed under that pile.


The second group of pictures (take beginning of August) were taken after the bulk of the "stuff" was removed and discarded:

The house from the street. The outside needs work too, mainly just flowers and grass.


View of the living room from the front door. That pile of stuff was all for the yard sale.


Damage above the fireplace.


Shot from inside the master bedroom.


The bathroom. You don't even want to know what it was like before. But this doesn't look good, so you can only imagine...


View from the kitchen to the back door. That stuff is gone, sold in the yard sale.


Back bedroom.


Down comes the antennae.


Wow! Look at all that trash. And yes, we did recycle what we could.


So that is my current project. Now, time to get busy! There is a lot internally structurally that we'd like to do. It's gonna be work, but it'll be great! When it's all done, drum roll please, I'll be moving in! I'll rent from my parents, and after some time either approach them about purchasing it or wait until they split the lots and build another house and purchase that one. That's the plan, it's a pretty darn good one if you ask me.

Success!

The yard sale was a big success! It was pretty much all profit because the stuff didn't belong to us to begin with. We made about $500! That's $500 to go straight into the house.

Yard Sale!

For those of you who are yard sale junkies or like vintage/antique items then stop by on Saturday. My family is having one tomorrow! Most of the stuff is coming from the house across the street from us that we own and are cleaning out. Lots of unique things!

Vintage/Antique 1930's - Current

8467 Acacia Street in Hilmar
(if you know where I live, it's across the street from our driveway)

Starting at 7am - 2pm

Get a hold of me if you have any questions!

Words to Live By: Obedience

o-be-di-ence, noun.
1. acquiescence to a command.
2. an act in submission to authority.
3. fulfillment of an expectation.
4. Biblical: compliance with the voice of authority.
5. Personal: a lifestyle of deference to God's will.

We ought to obey God rather than men.
-Acts 5:29

The Christian man is the freest lord of all and the most obedient servant of all.
-Martin Luther

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.
-Isaiah 1:19

"Obedience means relying on an authority outside of yourself to know how to fly, to know how to live your lives. You can't trust yourself, so you have to rely upon God, his Word, and the leaders he puts in your life."

Learning obedience is hard. I am a prideful human that has been affected by my forefather, Adam. Adam was disobedient towards God, and his rebellion has passed down from generation to generation and on down to me.

How is one obedient? How does one become obedient? It's actually quite simple, but it's much easier said than down. One is obedient when they submit their will to God and listen to his authority. Even Jesus had to obey, and he was perfect. I struggle with being obedient. And I struggle because I want the instant gratification. I want to be obedient and then quickly receive the fruits of my labor or my rewards. I don't want to wait, I don't want to be patient. But going through that is all part of the learning to be obedient.

For the past year and 9 months, I was working in a position, or department, that I was not happy in. But I knew that if I wanted to stay within the company I needed to just wait it out and pray that a position would become available that would be a perfect fit for me. I was obedient to God, or so I thought. I was the good Christian that was going to church, participating in a Bible Study, befriending strong Christian people, praying, going to Sunday School. You name it, I was doing it. You know what I found out though, works does not equal obedience. Obedience is matching my lifestlye and my heart to God's will for me. As I grew closer and closer to being an obedient person I grew stronger and more encouraged that although my time with my place of employment had not been pleasant, that there was a perfect place for me within it where I feel valued and be valuable.

And here I am now, 3 days into a new position where the people are friendly and understanding of the learning curve that I have. Where they want to see the employees excel and improve. Where I feel valued, yes, even after 3 days. I am where I am now because I was obeying God's command. I am reaping the fruits of my obedience. And boy does it feel good!

Now... let's see how else God will reward my obedience as I continue to obey...

We are born subjects, and to obey God is perfect liberty. He that does this shall be free, safe and happy.
-Seneca

Remember Me?

In case you didn't, here are some pictures to tide you over for a it. I know it's been awhile since I've posted self photos.


Before Rylen and Jim's engagement party.


At a cousin's wedding in Pozo, CA.

August Resolutions

I resolve in August to...

1. Actively seek God in my day to day life, worshiping Him and bring Him glory. Being like Jesus to people. Hold me accountable people, please.

2. Losing weight. Summer is almost over, and I only have 2 months left until my best friend's wedding in October. My goal, which is totally obtainable, is to lose 10 pounds (5 pounds per month) by then. For those of you that I eat out with regularly, please hold me to it.

3. Go somewhere at least an hour away from home.

4. Quit rewarding myself with food. Time to reward myself with something different. A pedicure, manicure, new shirt, or purse, or whatever (and I'm making enough money to do that and not worry too much now!).

5. Exercise. Swim, walk, Bosu ball, anything!

6. Try to be at the painting stage by the end of the month at the house across the street. Which mind you, as soon as it's done I can move it. But there is lots to do to it.

7. Do something BOLD or DARING!

Out with July!

July resolution report time:

1. Actively seek God in my day to day life, worshiping Him and bring Him glory. Being like Jesus to people.
This area is a daily struggle for me. Pray that I can do better with this. I need to daily be in the Word and in prayer.

2. Continued control from nibbling at work. No pastries, desserts, and nibblings.
I was bad at this one too...

3. Again with the losing 5 pounds. Summer is here! Not only that, but I am in my best friend's wedding in October. My goal, which is totally obtainable, is to lose 20 pounds by then. Help hold me to it everyone!
Yea, you guessed it. That didn't happen. But I didn't gain either, just maintained.

4. Go somewhere out of the area. Maybe a drive to the coast is in order...
I went nowhere. Nowhere entirely special that is. I did go to the fair!

5. Confess something to someone, and see where things go from there. I know this maybe be totally cryptic to some, but others of you know what I'm talking about. Time to encourage without pressuring :)
I did this! And I was rejected. What did I do about it? Nothing. There is nothing to do, except continue on with friendship like nothing happened.

6. Have a good attitude with current job. But seek new one in the meantime.
Yes! Found a new job! I can't say that I continued having a good attitude towards the VC position though. Oh well, no more of that.

7. Quit rewarding myself with food. If I do something good or deserving or a reward (went on a walk, lost weight, made it through a day at work, etc.) I tend to treat myself to something with calories, and lots of them. Time to reward myself with something different. A pedicure, manicure, new shirt, or purse, or whatever.
This one is going to take work. My mentality is, "You lost weight. Good job, you deserve an ice cream now." Honestly, what good does that do?!?

8. Exercise. Swim, walk, Bosu ball, anything!
Swam a fair amount of time. Will be walking more in my future.

2 more days!

Only 2 more days of working in the VC! I'm so excited to finally be done with the place and moving up to bigger and better. Although, I'm nervous. Scared that I won't live up to what they want. But confident at the same time that I can do it. Oooh, a bundle of nerves, confidence and excitement all together! And stress from having to wrap up a job, while training 5 people that are taking over what I've been doing, while lining everything up before I leave, while still doing my job, while have been mentally checked out since last week.

Oh how great Friday at 4 will be...