(616) to (915)

Ja.Ja.Ja.

2010-04-06T20:53:00.004-06:00

FAIL.
I have abandoned my blog. But alas, I'm back for round-whatever-it-is. There have been some big changes lately. I'm going to have to change the name of this blog.

New Name: (915) to (616).
We're moving again in June! We had already planned on going back to Michigan in August 2010, but it looks as though it is happening sooner. Some unplanned things came up and we're going back for adventure #2. Should be a thrill.
Blog, I have neglected you because I'm terribly busy. I now work 6 days a week and attend school 4 hours a week. Plus everything that normal people have to do, has to get done at some time during the week. So I make it happen. School is in full swing for Brendan. Nate is back and it's been good. I have a lot of photos I'd like to post, so I think I may just throw them in a slide show for yawls. Could be a lot easier than posting a few pictures...

View Photo Slideshow

Make a Free Flash Slideshow

Beyond the slide show, nothing new. Really, at all. Besides the fact that my hair is getting really long. I want to cut it bad, but I'm growing it out.

Puppy Party!

2010-02-22T21:41:00.005-07:00

I've been busy.
But not too busy to add a few puppy pictures.
and a video.

I love my little Luna Bear. She's the best pups in the world!!

and a blast from the past! look how little Luna was!

Ohhh Noooo

2010-01-18T22:09:00.005-07:00

Readers....

I sincerely apologize. I've been ridiculously neglectful. Sorry mom and dad! I'm back. Brendan and I were driving in the car tonight and it came to my realization that I have a blog that has a few readers and that I hadn't touched it in 2 months! Oops.

Therefore, I will update you all on my life. I have been working a lot. I'm incredibly thankful for the job I have. It's a solid 40 hours a week. It's helping provide for Brendan and I and I couldn't ask for more. Plus everyone at the Y is really nice. So that's always a bonus!

Brendan and I just celebrated our one year wedding anniversary. This past year has been the most incredible year I've had in a long time. It went super mega fast. I can't believe it is also almost a year since we moved to El Paso. That is when I started this blog. And I will continue to update this blog on my adventures through life.

I start school at University of Phoenix for my BSHS degree in 4 days! (Bachelor of Science Human Services). I have never been more excited to continue my education. Brendan also starts school at El Paso Community College tomorrow! He has a full-time schedule. I don't think he realizes how busy he is going to be. But college for him is only going to be 1 or 2 semesters. In order to enlist in the Navy, he must complete 15 credit hours because he only has a G.E.D. Hopefully everything with school goes smoothly. 44 of my credit hours from Spring Arbor transferred, so I'm scheduled to be done with U.O.P. in May of 2012. It sounds like a long time, but it really isn't. I only have to take 21 more classes to graduate with my bachelors degree.

Another key plan Brendan and I have is that we're going to move back to Michigan. We were originally planning on moving back in June/July, but that will be held back until about August. I have a class where I must acquire Field Experience. It is from June 10 - August 12. The Y will most likely allow me to do that volunteer experience there, so we're just going to stay here until that is done. It makes more sense.

Moving on quickly, Brendan and I now have a beautiful dog. Her name is Luna and she already loves us so much! Here's my little monkey...she's cute! You can't even lie!

Unfortunately, that is about the only good picture I have of her right now. She HATES cameras. She growls at mine all the time. And makes angry puppy faces. She's a malti-poo/chihuahua mix so she won't get very big. Which is good!

On the negative side of things, the father of all the puppies passed away on Wednesday last week. He got hit by a car on Monday and we took him to the vet. He had internal injuries. He seemed fine all day Tuesday. On Wednesday he wouldn't eat meat, he wouldn't move or do anything. Brendan and Melanie took him to the vet again. They checked him out and said he needed to stay for a while. They called later that day and said things were not looking good for him, so they recommended we take him to the animal hospital. On the way to the animal hospital, Chubbs passed in Brendan's arms. We miss him a lot.

Okay guys, I'm done. For now. I'm going to try and update more soon! I don't want to be terrible at updating my readers on my life.

Love, peace and chicken grease.

Terrible.

2009-11-20T15:09:00.009-07:00

I've neglected this blog. I've been busy. But not too busy to blog, so that's no excuse.

So for a major update I suppose. Brendan got his license finally. I'm very proud and very happy that I am not the only one driving around these days. I've recently been accepted for a janitorial position at the YWCA. I couldn't be more excited. I go in for orientation on Monday. It's a full-time position with benefits. (The plus side of all this is...it's not food service!) Hooray! So that's a new venture I'm taking in my life. Hoping to pay off the rest of my bills and purchase a used car. (New to me of course.) This is the car I want.

Hyundai Tiburon. Beauty and price. Definitely.

In other news, our little dog Abby just had puppies. 7 of them. The poor dog is very little. I'm surprised she made it through labor. We're proud. Here's a photo.

They're beautiful.

Well that's about all I've got. Hey, at least I updated, right?

crazy cat lady fails at blogging.

2009-09-26T20:06:00.008-06:00

readers readers readers.
i am terribly sorry.
wow. i'm horrible at blogging.
really, i apologize.
my life has been filled with little things here and there.
looking forward to the next two and a half weeks because they're exciting!
i successfully went to the mall here for the very first time the other day.
it was justifiably a mall.
nothing special at all.
well, i take that back.
there is a little gem of a store in that mall.
it's called the jewelry box.
everything in there is a dollar.
jewelry for a dollar?
best thing to happen to me as of late.
no wonder all the ladies down here look cute.
all for a dollar. mhm.
that was the only thing exciting about the mall.
one thing that terrified me though, was the computerized soda machine.
touch screen? huh. oh well. welcome to the year 2009.
as always, i miss my family and friends tremendously.
that will never change.
other news, my cat is obese and she loves catnip.
she escaped to the neighbor's house a few nights ago.
about gave me a heart attack.
call me a crazy cat lady, i don't really mind.

brendan and i are doing wonderfully.
2 years together soon! :)
he's the love of my life and i couldn't ask for a better man.
i'm proud of his recent accomplishments.
i'm sure i'll be proud of his upcoming ones too.
well, i'm on a normal sleep schedule again.
time to fold laundry, feed my cat, take a shower and go to bed.

ps. favorite quote lately:
"good morning! oh and if i don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight" - Truman from The Truman Show

nothing entertains me more...

2009-08-21T21:22:00.000-06:00

than police scanners.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ScanMichigan---Live

keeps me entertained while i'm trying to get sleepy.
check them out sometime.

i'll greet you with this...and this only.

2009-08-21T00:46:00.005-06:00

i miss the staple food of grand rapids.
yesterdog.
probably the most incredible edible to happen to grand rapids.
i salute thee, yesterdog.
and will forever long for your deliciousness.

until we meet again.

that's all folks. send me some yesterdog? kraut or killer dogs need only apply.

http://www.yesterdog.com/

readers...hello.

2009-08-14T22:38:00.004-06:00

just thought an update would be beneficiary to all my readers. things are going smoothly here. it's been a wonderful couple weeks. the weather has decided to cool down, which is appreciated. (a cool down is considered from 100 degrees down to low 90s here in el paso). brendan successfully completed his GED program and i have never been more proud. he worked hard on it and his work shows. he's so smart, i knew he'd do excellent.

speaking of education. i've had this strange drive to go back to school lately. i would like to go to school online though. there is a lot of research i need to do before committing to that. my brain feels dead and it needs a revamp. if anyone has any great ideas or recommendations for schooling, please get a hold of me somehow. brendan and i both completed our FAFSA online yesterday and it shows that i am approved for up to $5,350 in a pell grant. that would be absolutely wonderful. i just need to decide what i want to do. something in health administration or human services. i don't know yet. again, the research is going to help in this dilemma.

nate comes for his R&R tomorrow afternoon/evening. he's been gone since march and it'll be a joy to see him. the kids are really excited to see their dad. and i think his wife is equally excited! i don't blame them. it'll be terribly hard to watch him leave again, but we need to just make the best of the time that he has while he is visiting.

another strange thing, the army tells all their soldiers who come home on R&R that they are visitors in their own home. that's such a strange concept for me because the soldiers are the ones providing for their families, and they're supposed to be considered visitors in their own home? i think that is ridiculous. oh well, you do what the army says right?

on a creepy note here, there have been a plethora of black widows creeping around our house lately. that makes me uncomfortable. they vary in size. but they're disgusting none the less. i'd never seen one before i moved here. gross. here's a few photos.

aren't they horrendously disgusting? makes me want to wear pants and socks when i sleep.

alright, well that's about all the update i have for you at this moment.
more to come.
love you and miss you all.

out of the music loop

2009-07-31T23:43:00.005-06:00

hello readers. short post here. i just want to present to you my new favorite website of all time. if you're at all into music, please please check out http://www.last.fm. i know that it's been around for a long time, but i have been an avid pandora user. after today, i have concluded that last.fm tops all music sites. it's a ton of music at your fingertips and it's completely customizable. it caters to every kind of music interest possible. it gives you the ability to play a good amount of songs that are based on your choices. they also recommend songs that suit your taste. you can create playlists. if you love music and want to discover new music, last.fm is for you. i'm not kidding. check it out. it's a glorious choice for a music lover. do it.

ps. update: my cat is getting really fat, she needs to go on a diet. look at this awkward photo i got of her on the couch the other night. it tops all of the photos i have of tuna melt.

one more of our family kitten sunshine. she's a little bundle of kitten trouble.

she's cute, you can't even disagree.

okay, that's all i wanted to say tonight. it's late and i need to shower and sleep. love you all.

I am not spectacular at keeping this updated.

2009-07-27T21:26:00.013-06:00

I am back after much time of not posting. I'm sorry to keep all of my readers out of the loop. Everything here in Texas is going swimmingly. It's been horribly hot, which I am definitely not used to, but I deal. The pool does its job here in Texas. (The air conditioning on the other hand does not.) I just turned 23 and don't feel too different about it. Life moves on. It was a good birthday. I got to spend it with my family here and that's what counts. I also got to talk with my parents on the phone and that's always wonderful to me. (I know you guys read this! I LOVE YOU very much and miss you horrendously some days.) July has just come and past. It's insane how fast this year is flying by. We're at the end of July already and my niece and nephew go back to school one week from tomorrow. Mikaela is starting kindergarten and Austin is going into second grade. They're my pride and joy. Mikaela is my little angel (who drives me crazy sometimes!) and Austin is the most handsome man in the world. (Even though he's going through a whiny/angry phase.) I love them both with all my heart. We just celebrated Austin's birthday yesterday. We just had friends over for a backyard barbecue complete with throwing candy off the roof. Good thing we have enough pools and rent-able water slides around here to make backyard barbecues manageable. Here are a few pictures of the birthday boy and his sister in all their glory yesterday.

1. he decided to dunk his face in the cake and the cutie in the background is our friend marky.

2. the birthday boy in all his glory (cake face and all.)

3. of course his sister had to follow suit. (and turned out looking like a superhero!)

4. using my cool color accent feature on my camera! (thanks dad for picking this one!)

5. getting ready to open presents! the highlight of any child's birthday.

6. present #1: a rocket for fun in the desert.

7. present #2: a pile of rocks in the left hand and a magnifying glass in the other!

present #3: a scooter!

present #4: ford remote control truck! the favorite of the evening!

so that was austin's birthday. good times, good friends, good food. in other news, brendan takes his last section of his GED test tomorrow. he will then get his results back within the next two weeks. i'm very happy and support him greatly. i know that he will pass those tests with flying colors. he's an incredibly smart man, and i'm happy to see him applying his brain to something! well, i need to get to bed, my back has been sore all day and i'm just generally tired. thanks for reading! love and miss you greatly.

it's good to be back

2009-06-23T22:57:00.013-06:00

hello readers. hope you are all having the most splendid of evenings. this year is flying by so fast. i cannot believe it's almost july already. brendan and i have been married for almost 6 months already. feels like just yesterday when we were at the courthouse. regardless of time flying, everything is going perfect. i got to spend a wonderful long weekend last week up in the gila wilderness with an excellent group of friends and family(3.3 million acres of national forest). must i say now, that it was the most beautiful and the most exciting camping trip i have ever been on. i'm not much of a camper. i more of a cottager. but gila changed my mind about camping. actually, it changed my mind on living in a world consumed with products and money. we are such a selfish society. it's unbelievable. i would love to learn to live simply. driving away from gila pulled at my emotions so much. (even made me cry a little) 99% of my being wanted to just stay and learn to live a simple, close life with my husband. we as a society of people are such consumers and it disgusts me. someday, i will live off a few necessities and learn to appreciate life without a consumer society. it was a beautiful trip. i want to go back now. but patience will just have to do. here are some photos of proof how beautiful it really is.

1) the cliffs that surrounded our campsite

2) overall beauty of gila national forest

3) the incredible sky on our first rainy day there

4) our humble abode for 5 days

5) we had to cross a river to get to our campsite

6) you can "bearly" see him, but he's was there, 20 yards from our campsite

7) the absolutely beautiful hike to the indian cliff dwellings

8) our family for the long weekend

i have a ton of pictures from the trip, but these are the most memorable and the best of the best. well that's really all i have to update on. life is just cruising on now. miss everyone terribly (as always). i have to hit the sheets. love you all mucho.

an anticipated update?

2009-06-10T13:50:00.015-06:00

hey everyone. i have been slacking terribly on the blog. i apologize. life is just moving right along. i cannot believe how fast this year has gone already. it's already june? where did march, april and may go? other than the year moving far too quickly, brendan and i have been looking into school. there is this little technical school called western tech. we're very interested. classes start in july or september if we could attend. brendan is looking at HVAC and i'm definitely interesting in health information technology. (billing and coding). we are anticipating that. brendan is in the middle of working on getting his GED so he can get a great job someday. he found a work program that is able to give him his GED testing for free. so that's a blessing.

a few days ago we went to the only lake within the area for a little fishing. the lake is actually right across the highway from the border. it's still quite the culture shock, but pretty cool. unfortunately we didn't catch any fish. (not even any bites!) but, we did catch these big guys on the poles...

yes yes yes, a total of 3 gargantuan frogs. i have never seen frogs this big. in fact, they're still in our bathtub to this day. they've even laid eggs in the bathtub. it makes showering a bit complicated but we make it work. poor guys are probably hungry. i think they're kinda gross because sometimes they get out of the bathtub and wander around the house. ew.

other than the froggy adventures, we're also going camping in the wilderness for 4 days/3 nights. we're leaving on saturday to go on a mountain adventure with friends and family to gila national forest. gila is approximately 4 hours away and there is no water or bathrooms or anything. it should be thrilling. this week is taking so long because i'm looking forward to camping. here's an image of what it will probably be like there...

i think it will be a beautiful adventure and i'm greatly looking forward to it. well everyone, that's about it today, i don't have much else to write. keep me updated on your lives better than i do with mine. love you and miss you all.

i have a new doggy friend

2009-05-26T18:31:00.004-06:00

introducing to you.
CHANCE.
he's a 6.5 month old boxer/german shepherd mix.
we got him for free because his previous family was moving.
he's a big boy already.
a big baby.
he's great with the kids and is learning to get along with the other dogs.
the cat...not at all.
he's taken a great liking to brendan. (as you can see by this video - brendan had just left)

but that's okay, then i won't forget about tuna.
here's a few pictures.

"let's jog! this only happens once a year!"

2009-05-23T14:38:00.003-06:00

yesterday is a day worth writing about. since brendan and i moved to texas, we haven't seen an ounce of water. we were blessed with the most beautiful thunderstorm on 5-22-09. i have never been more thrilled to see sheets of rain coming from the sky. talk about something that makes your day. literally, it happens just a few times during the year. to observe all of the kids in the neighborhood coming out of their houses and playing in the rain is truly a sight. i think i saw some neighbors i have never seen before. of course, i had to go have some fun in the rain as well. the city of el paso has an interesting drainage system. i would hate to see what the city looked like after 3 days of heavy rain. it would be the next atlantis! i can say at this point in my post that i was driving through deep curb puddles in my car pretending i was in a boat. yes, i miss water tremendously. i had an absolute blast playing in puddles too. the smell of rain is something that can't be replaced with anything else. it brings such joy to the soul. the pounding of thunder and the zap of lighting are the most excellent. i overheard a neighbor kid say as he was jumping in puddles "let's jog! this only happens once a year!" i love rain and i wish it would show its face more often. such beauty in weather form. my favorite. but alas, we're back to average el paso weather today. sunny and hot. can't wait for winter here, it's going to be amazing. i am not going to miss the snow. (ok, maybe a little bit...especially around christmas when it's sunny and warm.) that's all folks. just thought i'd share my blessing in disguise.

it's possible

2009-05-21T15:38:00.003-06:00

that i just forgot to blog for a long time. sorry readers. i've been really bad at this technology thing. that and i've been addicted to the facebook application "farm town". pathetic? yes.

the weather has been wonderful here in el paso, tx. the past 2 days it has been cloudy and it's a nice change. we successfully have a pool in the backyard and a wonderful patio set. the pool is great because it's so hot here. i miss lake michigan and mclaren lake tremendously. i'm really excited to spend winter here though. no snow! that makes my heart happy.

this has been a week of homesickness. i really miss having a lot of close friends in close proximity. you are all missed terribly. if you know my brother, tell him congrats on graduating and getting into the merchant marine academy. i'm a very proud big sister. he's no longer my little brother, he is my younger brother. i wish him the best of luck.

brendan is doing well, just keeping busy with mechanics stuff. he has been doing a little research on a school down here. it's call western tech. he learned about it through a friend of ours. apparently they provide a GED test at the school while you're attending. he is looking into auto mechanics. which is sweet. i hope he goes for it.

anyway, i'm going to go. the playstation 3 just got fixed and i want to watch some good old videojuegos. love you all very very much.

sorry for the lost blog time. i promise to keep it up.

wow wow wow

2009-05-06T01:42:00.008-06:00

coming from michigan to texas was a huge change. a spectacular change. except my michigan body isn't used to it being 100 degrees in may. the temperatures here are exceeding my expectations. i knew it would be hot, but i didn't know it would be scorching. it's quite funny because my arm that is out my driver's side window is much tanner than the other. and i have a farmers tan too, which is awkward. i can't wait to get a pool to dip into in the summer here. it'll be a refreshing relief. (and a semi-even tan.) every time i step outside in the morning and afternoon i feel as though my skin is instantly burning. that can't be healthy. on a good note though, the sunsets here are the most spectacular that i have ever seen. i mean come on, you can't get much better than this.

absolutely breathtaking if you ask me. with the mountains as a backdrop to most sunsets, makes el paso one of the most beautifully photographed landscapes.

i had a lot of fun this week. brendan and i sought out an adventure last week wednesday. we started exploring the mountains in the area. came across a really cool state park, but we didn't have any cash to get in. so we decided to look elsewhere for a free hiking adventure. if you know me by any means, i'm not a hiker. i'm a hiking whiner. but it really tickled my fancy and i decided to get over myself and take a hike. we went on the lookout for a crashed B36 fighter jet which was supposedly where we were hiking. after some research online, we found that we were in the right area but just didn't find it. lame. we will go back and find it. here are some photos from our hike up the mountain. it was beautiful.

it was fabulous. beside the giant open sore that i have on my ankle from crappy hiking shoes, it couldn't have been more fun. more adventures to come in the hiking department.

on the last note, there are creepy spiders in the desert. if you run a RV generator, it really disturbs their peace. check these nasty things out. they're called camel spiders. disgusting. here's the wiki link if you want to read about them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel_Spiders

gross. really gross.

they're very fast and very gross.

that's all for this wonderful evening. take care ladies and gents.

becoming domestic

2009-04-30T23:28:00.016-06:00

being domestic is fun. i'm going to randomly post some recipes that i have tried and have worked on my blog. they're fun and tasty. i mean really, you're talking to someone that really loves food.

tonight i went out on a baking adventure and tracked down my FAVORITE peanut butter bar recipe. [thank you mother for the recipe book full of wondeful food!] for anyone with a sweet tooth, i recommend these. they are phenomenal. they make a person's life a bit better.

dig your sweet tooth into these. delicious!

here's the recipe if you would like to indulge.

Peanut Butter Bars

1/2 . butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. flour
1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Icing
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Cream butter, sugars, and peanut butter in a bowl. Add egg and vanilla. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Spread into a greased 9X13 inch pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minute or until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes. Combine icing ingredients; drizzle over bars.

Note: Add the milk to the icing a little at a time and make sure to stir all ingredients well.

ENJOY, I know I do.

The Most Beautiful Video

2009-04-30T01:33:00.004-06:00

of my niece. she made it to send to dad in Qatar.

isn't it beautiful?

conclusive essay on love

2009-04-25T01:48:00.004-06:00

my husband is the most magnificent man in the entire universe. i never thought i would find someone so right for me. love is something that not everyone gets to experience. but once you do come across it, it puts you on a whole different level.

brendan and i have been through a lot together since we met. we've had some nasty living situations (ahem...ahem...motel). love keeps you truckin' along. through thick and thin. i love having a partnership. there are a lot of things about it that i need to learn. (example: sharing a blanket on our bed...leave us alone, rough sleepers need their space.) i have a lifelong partner and i couldn't be happier.

i knew i was in love with brendan the day that we met. i'm not so much a fan of "love at first sight" but i am a believer in "love at first meet". sounds pretty lame i know, but it makes sense to me. and i'm sure there are other people out there that can vouch for me on that statement.

when brendan and i first met, it was in my car. i brought him to work. i was never so curious about a man than i was with brendan. he was mysterious and that is what brought him to my attention. i wanted to know more about him. i knew that to do this, we would obviously have to start somewhere. and we did. we got to know eachother, we learned what true love is all about. on the other hand, brendan thought that i was completely out of his league. he was curious to know me, but he didn't think he had a chance. what a silly thought. little did he know i was even more curious about him.

there are so many aspects of love. it's incredible. everything about is so amazingly complicated. it takes a lot to love a person 100%. it takes a strong person. love brings out the best and the worst in people. (again, i think that statement is vouch-able). i wouldn't be where i am emotionally without brendan. he has immensely helped me get to a more stable point in my life. i was so uncertain of what my life held before i met him. love whirled and twirled and did its thing. now i'm here, married to the most incredible man on the face of the planet.

he is such a genuine, smart, caring, influential man. i wish more people could see what i see in brendan. those of you that know brendan should be proud. he has made a difference in a lot of people's lives and he will continue to do that throughout his lifetime.

B.A.B. is mine. forever and ever. and i couldn't be more giddy. i still think about our first kiss and i get those dweeby little butterflies.

he is my ULTIMATE blessing. i love him so dearly.

as he would put it. "We Live Together, We Love Together, We uhhhh, We are Married."

conclusion

2009-04-20T11:27:00.001-06:00

i need to look for a better paying job. a job that isn't food service. i am so tired of working with customers. bye. it's waffle cone time [again.]

MONOTONY.

carpal tunnel and rosetta stone

2009-04-18T00:10:00.006-06:00

my life has been fairly monotonous lately. i go to work and make/dip waffle cones. i help some customers here and there and then i go home. not that i'm complaining or anything. it's so much better than sitting at home. one thing that i must add here is that i need a different TYPE of job. i am so tired of being in customer/food service i could throw up. most of the receptionist type jobs here require you to be bilingual. maybe i should learn spanish? i need to get my hands on rosetta stone and learn spanish. i think i'm determined enough to get a better job. i know i have so much more potential than food service, i just can't escape. i'm stuck guys. beyond the work topic, the weather has been glorious. cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon. this next week we are looking upon close to 90 degrees everyday. welcome to texas where it's hot and there is not a drop of water whatsoever. but i do love it here, so again, i'm not complaining.

one thing that i am legitimately allowed to complain on is my carpal tunnel. i have been wearing my brace. it's not helping. as dumb as it sounds, i think it is acting up from scooping ice cream. ice cream is hard to scoop. today, during dinner preparation, i was cutting chicken with a heavy duty scissors. all of a sudden all the feeling in my right thumb went out. thank you carpal tunnel . you add a lot of joys to my life. my thumb still has no feeling. it's really annoying.

all those years of typing and piano and texting have quite apparently caught up with me. not fun by any means.

on another note, my cat is getting FAT. she's eating like a boy going through puberty. i guess that's a good thing. i know she is healthy and finally enjoying her living environment.

she is definitely my blue eyed baby. i'd be sad if she ever ran away or was killed. she's my love. she waits up every night for me to go to sleep. she knows that i will always care for her and be her mom. she is in much better hands now. her original owner is a jerk. she's a lover, that's for sure.

alright, well it's late. i must go to sleep soon. waffle cones in the morning. much love to everyone. hope everything is splendid with all of you.

Man

2009-04-12T17:13:00.002-06:00

Within the next year Brendan is probably going to enlist in the United States Navy. I am nervous and excited and proud. I think that the military would be really good for Brendan. He's been talking about it a lot the past 3 days. He seems very content in the fact that it's what he would like to do. He is looking at the career aspect of the Navy. He is very smart. I think he'd be great. In whatever career he decides to pursue. I am happy for him. But I can't even lie, it's something that has been sitting in the back of my mind as uncomfortable. He's excited so I am excited. We're a partnership and if that's what he would like to do, he may. He's a grown man.

Much love everyone.

Check this out

2009-04-08T16:17:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone. I found this website that I think is really neat and very influential. Please please please, if you care about environmental issues or making a greener world, check this site out. It's packed full of information for the starter environmentalist.

http://www.care2.com

Join now. It's phenomenal!

commence

2009-04-04T18:11:00.003-07:00

Hello readers. After much debate, I decided to write another blog post. It's not going to be anything special. But I do feel like typing so congratulations, you get something to read. Friday was my niece's birthday. It was really fun. I haven't been able to celebrate a birthday with a child since we went to Flint a few months back. Birthdays are such a blessing for kids. Kind of a hassle for parents, but that's what you have to do when you're a grown up. The look of pure joy on their faces is priceless. Sheer joy is the only way to express how a child feels on their birthday. When those dollar bills peek out of a card, or that wrapped present comes out of the oven [Yes, that's where we stored our presents yesterday], their eyes light up. It was fun to be a part of a child's birthday again.

Good news on the home front here. About 2 months back, we had our 2 four wheelers that were parked up against the house stolen. We hadn't heard a word about them until yesterday. My sister got a call from a detective yesterday. She said that they had found one of the quads. Needless to say, my sister was jumping up and down in sheer joy. Kind of like a kid on their birthday. They found the quad in Red Sands [a place to ride four wheelers, and drive jeeps and 4X4 trucks]. They ran the VIN number on the quad and it came up as ours. Whoever took those four wheelers was dumb enough to leave the VIN number on them. Idiot thieves. That's a good thing for us. Hopefully we'll be able to pick up the quad on Monday or Tuesday. The sheriff took down some names of people that were standing around the quad at Red Sands. Hopefully we can catch them. We will prosecute. Nevertheless, we are just excited that one of our quads was found.

Well everyone, a pretty meaningless entry. I'm going to be a couch potato and watch Grey's Anatomy in my room. I love you and miss you all.

Peace and blessings.

didyouknow.org

2009-04-01T01:29:00.005-07:00

I have the slightest addiction to looking up interesting/silly/strange/weird facts about random things on the internet...here's a collection of fun ones that I have found...sorry about this quirky entry to my blog. I'm bored okay?

In Denmark there are twice as many pigs as people
The heart of a blue whale is the size of a small car
Sharks are immune to all known diseases
The harmonica is the world's best selling instrument
On average, you breathe 23,000 times a day
Unless food is mixed with saliva you cannot taste it
Every person has a unique tongue print
Wine is sold in tinted bottles because wine spoils when exposed to light
The Bible is still the world's best selling book
2 billion people still cannot read
80% of millionaires drive used cars
If California was a country, it would be the 5th largest economy in the world
In the US there are more television sets than telephones
India is the world's largest democracy with more than 600 million voters
More than 100 million people hold hunting licenses
A badminton shuttle easily travels 112 mph
Half the world's population is under the age of 25

Hope everyone gained a little fast fact knowledge from me tonight. It was thrilling. Goodnight.

Simplification

2009-03-31T21:14:00.002-07:00

Recently, I acquired an ipod from Brendan. For goodness sakes, what a great gift. Makes my life so much easier. My CD collection was far too extensive and it was very overwhelming. The ipod fixes all those things. Tonight I'm ripping a good portion of my CDs to the computer and then keeping them on the external hard drive and when I want them on my ipod i'll put them there. I have a lot of CDs and this whole ripping process is overwhelming. And I have no idea what to do with my CDs after I'm done with them. They're just taking up space. My sister said she'd look through them and take some of them for herself. The rest I might send to friends in MI. I have no idea. But all I know is that...

It's out with the

and in with the

hooray! couldn't be more excited!

Waffle Cones and Mix Ins - For Reals?

2009-03-28T21:02:00.008-07:00

So I most definitely love working here...

From the waffle cones, to the dipping, to the mixing and fluffing and the singing. It's generally a wonderful place to work. It's nice to have a fun environment to work in. Where the ice cream is delicious and fresh. [and I get to sample the ice cream on those tiny spoons everyday.] I'm generally a very outgoing, energetic, customer-service oriented person and it's totally the place for me right now. I love my job. [and the tips are a pretty cool perk too.] Wow. I haven't been able to say that since February?

Speaking of my last job, I miss Wendy's a lot. That was a fun job too. But ice cream is SO much better than fast food. I don't come home smelling like fried food anymore. Hooray!

Instead, I smell like waffle cones and it's delicious.
Most definitely my new perfume.
Hey, Brendan likes it so what can I complain about?

Speaking of Brendan. I will tell you this. I am totally and absolutely in love with him. Developing such a partnership is sure a challenge, but it's fun. I cannot wait to spend my entire life with him. He is phenomenal. He is the most level headed being on this planet. And I'm SO grateful to have such a man in my life.

To quote my nephew. "for reals."

I love my niece and nephew. I don't know what my day would be without them. They provide lots of fun moments and someday I will have children of my own and that's so exciting for me. Having kids around is challenging though. They make you think, and ask you questions all day. And they tell the honest truth when they're questioned. That's the beauty of children. They're honest. And they have no perception of time...oh what it would be like relive my childhood. I was a handful I'm sure. Can you believe we were all that annoying and strange when we were little?

Texas is wonderful and I don't see myself leaving anytime soon. Nothing beats the desert. Even the sand blows like snow on the roads. But I don't have to worry about crashing my car in the sand. Unless of course it were to drift into sand dunes on the road. That would be a bit terrifying. [There I go on some sporadic topic that you probably don't even care about.]

Tonight, Brendan and I took the family up to the scenic drive above the wonderful city of EP. You can see for miles up there. The mountains are truly a sight for me everyday. I'm not used to seeing them yet. They make me smile and appreciate the beauty of mother nature. Truly a blessing.

To close things up, as always, I hope everything is well in Michigan. Missing you all immensely. But I'm also enjoying myself immensely. It's definitely bedtime for me. I like this whole "get back in a schedule" thing. It makes me feel good about myself.

Goodnight friends and family.
LOVE YOU ALL.

disgusted

2009-03-24T21:38:00.003-07:00

alright. i disgusted myself earlier. so i got my grand prix when i was 16. i have been driving it since then. not once have i cleaned the carpeting or the mats or anything. i actually had the motivation today to wash/dry/wax/vacuum/detail/steam clean my car. it was THE most disgusting thing i have done in a while.

thank goodness for the wonderful steam cleaner and a bathtub and bleach.

[ps. this steam cleaner is awesome!]

i now have floor mats that are back to their original color. tomorrow i'm taking on the task of steam cleaning my floors in my car and the seats and all the upholstery. hopefully it'll look like a new car. [although it's not, considering it's almost ten years old.]

i figured i'd do all this now that i'm not smoking anymore. i can actually clean my car and not have any ashes or anything in my car. i think it will be phenomenal.

as far as quitting smoking is going, i'm doing really well, down to about one/two cigarettes a day. i'm excited to start working and not have to put aside money out of my checks for smokes. it will be a good feeling.

i have been cranky though, and i apologize often to those around me. it's not fair, but once i'm done with this habit, the happier i will be.

hope everyone is doing excellent at home. miss you all very very much. hopefully i will get my phone back within the next 2 weeks.

My brother makes me proud

2009-03-22T18:06:00.004-07:00

Congratulations to my little brother. I am very proud of him. Check out this article I found on google.

Hoekstra Nominates 17 Students to U.S. Military Service Academies
West Michigan Students Nominated for the Class of 2013

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Washington, Jan 5 - U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, has nominated 17 students from Michigan’s Second Congressional District to be considered for acceptance into the 2013 class of the U.S. Military, Air Force, Naval and Merchant Marine academies.

“It is a great honor to nominate students from West Michigan for acceptance into the prestigious U.S. service academies,” Hoekstra said. “These young men and women exemplify the highest standards of professional conduct necessary for future leadership positions within the U.S. Armed Forces and the Merchant Marine.”

Hoekstra nominated the following students for the class of 2013:

U.S. Military Academy – West Point, N.Y.
Ryan Lusk (Jenison) – Unity Christian High School

U.S. Naval Academy – Annapolis, Md.
Drew Coffin (Holland) – Zeeland East High School
Courtney Diekema (Holland) – Zeeland East High School
James Galloway (Sparta) – Rockford Senior High School
Hope Potter (Whitehall) – Whitehall High School
Henry Tamminga (Jenison) – Unity Christian High School
Andrew Van Heest (Holland) – West Ottawa High School
Benjamin Wierda (Holland) – Westminster Christian School

U.S. Air Force Academy – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Joe Batchelder (Grand Haven) – Western Michigan Christian High School
Timothy Bowditch (Comstock Park) – Lighthouse Christian Academy
Jared Breuker (Muskegon) – Reeths-Puffer High School
Douglas Brown (Whitehall) – Whitehall High School
Courtney Diekema (Holland) – Zeeland East High School
Anthony Henry (Muskegon) – Muskegon High School
Fred Holwerda III (Hudsonville) – Hudsonville High School
John Lepird (Hamilton) – Hamilton High School
Ryan Lusk (Jenison) – Unity Christian High School
Jason Mulder (Holland) – Holland Christian High School
Seth Schneider (Bear Lake) – Manistee High School

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy – Kings Point, N.Y.
Henry Tamminga (Jenison) – Unity Christian High School

The nominations are based upon a 12-member academy advisory board interview that evaluates such criteria as academic achievement, extracurricular achievement and leadership abilities.

Further information on requirements for nomination and the application process is available on Hoekstra’s Web site at http://hoekstra.house.gov.

A nomination does not guarantee appointment to an academy. It only represents the role of a member of Congress in the process. Before an academy can consider an applicant, it must receive a nomination from an authorized nominating source, one of which is their congressman.

for reference: my brother starts at Kings Point in July.

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN HENRY!

Phone

2009-03-19T10:42:00.000-07:00

hi everyone. my phone is broken. i didn't do it. something is going wrong in the wiring or something. it keeps turning on and off. so i called alltel. it'll be about another two weeks until i have a new phone again. lame. so if you need to get ahold of me i guess it'll be thru email or something.

a message to all those i love

2009-03-18T12:40:00.002-07:00

via the request of my mother

2009-03-17T13:44:00.012-07:00

here are some photos of the house. and the area surrounding. [desert etc.]
just for all you guys.

this is my home sweet home.

photo 1. the neighborhood from driveway
photo 2. the house [front view]
photo 3. the vast desert [where we go lizard hunting]
photo 4. the thorns in the desert that you have to deal with when lizard hunting
photo 5. the living room
photo 6. the kitchen
photo 7. the shopping centers in EP look like this
photo 8. this is brendan and my room
photo 9. my salt covered car [don't worry dad, i washed it.]
photo 10. the tree looking mighty dead when we got here, it has leaves on it now

here i go.

2009-03-16T22:54:00.004-07:00

on another personal journey. this one will be interesting. i've been a smoker for quite some time. i know this doesn't please some of the people that i love and i don't want to ruin my body anymore. i'm ready to quit. finally. i'm tired of the expense and the risks that are involved. i'm done. i'm trying this...

hopefully it will work. i really really hope it will. i need to be done with this habit that i have been so entwined in. i know that it will damage me and the habit needs to be cut. quick. wish me luck. i am going to need it.

successful day

2009-03-16T13:30:00.002-07:00

i went to drop off more job applications today. a few of them sounding very hopeful. i got the chance to have a 1st interview at coldstone icecream [yesss.] sheryl [my interviewer] then scheduled me for a second interview on thursday. i'm very excited. the hours are very simple 10-5 or 11-6 or something like that. fulltime days. and icecream. my favorite. hopefully i get this job. the whole being out of money thing is really getting me down. hope everything is well in michigan, i miss you all and think about you everyday.

blessings.

slowly catching the drift

2009-03-15T21:02:00.008-07:00

of this whole blog thing very slowly. this is a wonderful blog site. the layout of the site itself is so simple and customizable. i'm totally happy that i joined. not only for the moments now, but for the memories later.

texas is absolutely wonderful. i couldn't be enjoying myself more. we've done a lot of fun things. but that doesn't mean that there isn't sadness that comes along with the whole ordeal.

my brother-in-law left for qatar with the united states army this past week. i have never actually had a reason to "support our troops" until now. this video is of the buses leaving after we had all gotten done saying our goodbyes. it was pretty emotional. i was proud of my sister in law and the composure that she held through the whole day.

my niece and nephew know that dad is gone for a long time, but i don't think they can grasp that he's going to be gone for a year. it's been a pretty hard week here. but we're all here together as a team. helping eachother out. brendan has taken the responsibilities of the man in the house. he's doing a great job. i have no doubt that he will be a great father someday.

here are a few photos of the family that hold great value to us. we're a family now. sticking it through everyday. that's why brendan and i are in texas. to help melanie out with the kids and the household. we are her support. hopefully we can hold up our end of the deal.

nate is missed greatly but we are holding up the household pretty well. just your everyday joys and everyday struggles.

that's all for tonight.
the kids are in the corner crying.
time to take control.

¡hola de paso el-, texas!

2009-03-15T15:28:00.031-07:00

buenas tardes ladies and gentlemen. after a lot of time and consideration, i have decided to take up a blog of my journeys here in el paso, texas. it may be somewhat of a hassle for me to update, but i'm sure my fellow people would love to hear of the adventures that i have bestowed upon.

to start off, i must say, it was a journey.

since september my husband and i have been looking forward to embarking on the journey of a lifetime. due to some exclusive events in michigan, we were unable to leave before february.

one of these events happened to be my marriage to the love of my life on january 16, 2009. i wanted to celebrate with friends and family in michigan. so that was one deciding factor in our ETD. [estimated time of departure for those who were wondering...] we had a beautiful union in the courthouse. saved us a bunch of money. it's all the same anyway. who cares if we are united in front of a church or in front of a magistrate. what meant the most is that we are in love and we dedicated our lives to one another. it was beautiful and that's all i wanted. the union of two people. always a special gift.

after all of the exclusive events happened, brendan and i left for el paso, tx on february 22, 2009 with a whirlwind of excitement. of course, with our karma, we left in a blizzard. but that's michigan for you. that blizzard proceeded to follow us all the way to oklahoma. i was relieved when i started seeing open, non-snow covered ground and gas prices as low as $1.54.

considering i'm the only one with a driver's license in this situation, i was more than enthused to arrive in texas. after 22 hours of straight driving, we arrived at destination paradise. eyes bloodshot, brain in a twisted mess, but alas we arrived. let me tell you one thing, going from a 15 degree blizzard to an 86 degree sun-filled day does something funny to a person.

even though i was tired as all get out, my mood immediately jumped. taking into consideration that i hadn't seen the sun in what felt like a decade. beyond that, i got to reunite with my sister and brother in law and her two beautiful children.

finally squeezed some sleep in and rejuvinated my soul.
it's been a whirlwind of events that i will have to share with you in individual posts.
for the reason that this post is getting gargantuan.
i will tell you one thing right now, we're here to stay.

welcome to paradise.