Ja.Ja.Ja.

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...

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!

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

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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?

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

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!"

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

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

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

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

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

isn't it beautiful?

conclusive essay on love

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."