"Somebody Said It" Sunday

A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are. ~Author Unknown

Thanks for being an awesome friend, Jenn! Love ya!!

ps- This is obviously an old picture since it is the middle of summer here and we're wearing winter coats in the picture. lol We were at "Tiger Burn" at USC (Carolina) a few years ago.

I Wonder...

I wonder how many people get to live out their dreams? I wonder how many people grow up with a dream in their hearts and actually get to live that dream? I wonder how many people have others who not only support their dreams, but help to make them a reality? Am I the only one? I certainly hope not!

If you've been reading my blog for awhile then you know that I have always wanted to be a teacher. Nothing has meant more to me than this one dream. I have worked very hard to get to this point... to have a teaching job. Many things stood in my way and I have overcome many obstacles to get here. 


My family has been very supportive. My wonderful parents paid my way through college and even paid most of my living expenses. My Mom has even bought many of the things I will be using in my classroom. They are wonderful. My Grandmother rode around for days in the car with me going to different interviews. My Mom helped me to find three long-term sub positions last year when I was unable to find a full-time job and the principal at that school stepped out on a limb and chose me to take these positions. She also highly recommended me to the principal who has hired me for the upcoming school year. So many people have supported my dream.


You know, there is one person who has not only supported my dreams, but given up his own for me. That is, of course, my husband. My amazing husband. He knew what this dream of teaching meant to me. He encouraged me. He even drove me to some of my interviews! I was talking to my brother-in-law the other day on the phone. It was a very short conversation, but he congratulated me on my job and told me that he thought it was so cool that I had a husband who was willing to move and give up things so that I could live my dream. He is so right. I am so lucky and it is so "cool" that Jake is willing to do this for me. He truly is an amazing man and I am so so lucky.


Thank you, Jake. Thank you for believing in me and for supporting my dreams. Thank you for making my dreams come true. Thank you for postponing yours so I can live mine. You are the most unselfish person I have ever met. I love you.

One Very Lucky

My Grandmama

Me and my Grandmama.

She is such a wonderful woman. I love her. Thank you, Grandmama! Thank you for your love, support, generosity... and many many laughs! :)

Wishing...

Wishing I was at the beach... next summer's beach trip can't come soon enough! lol

"Somebody Said It" Sunday

From this day forward I will love and comfort you, hold you close, prize you above all others, and remain faithful to you all the days of our lives.

These are the vows we said to each other exactly one year ago, today. We meant them then and we mean them now. I am a lucky lady. On July 18, 2009 I married my best friend, my knight in shining armor, the man of my dreams.

One Year Anniversary

This song, "I Just Call You Mine" by Martina McBride really says it all. I know I don't talk too much about Jake on my blog. I don't sing his praises nearly as much as I should. The truth is, he is my knight in shining armor. Jake is always there to make me smile, to rescue me, to "fix" everything. He's there to listen when I need to talk/complain/cry/laugh/vent. He's there to give advice when I need it... and knows when it's best to keep his mouth shut. He is a good man. I am blessed to call him my husband. Many people know Jake. Many people like Jake. Many people admire him and think very highly of him. Many people love Jake. I am the lucky one. I am his wife. 

Jake and I met about 4 years ago. The night I met him I knew. I knew there was something special about him. I soon learned that this "something special" was love. And it's not just that I loved him... but that he loved me, too. Me. Just for exactly who I am. Jake has never, in the 4 plus years I have known him, wanted me to be anyone other than exactly who I am. I think that really says something about him. The night I met Jake he had on this HORRIBLE gray fleece shirt. I mean HORRIBLE. Now, keep in mind that the reason this stood out to me was because it was June. June in South Carolina. Hmmmm... turns out he was wearing that because he hadn't bothered to do laundry lately. What a man. He had on these AWFUL white basketball shoes. I laughed to myself when I saw the shoes. I was thinking he must be a loser. lol He also had loooong hair. I almost always have short hair. His hair was half way down his back... and it was beautiful. He has the best hair I have ever seen. (It's short now... and to be honest, I miss it. Call me dweeby.)

You know, I have strong opinions about the saying "my other half" or "better half" and all of that. I don't like it. I have always said that Jake and I are two complete people all by ourselves. This is true. But, I will admit, I would not be half the woman I am today without Jake. He has truly made me a better person. He has made me proud to be exactly who I am. He has made me know that I am beautiful. He has shown me true, unconditional love. There is just nothing like loving someone and knowing without a doubt that the love you feel for them is returned to you. He puts me first. He asks for my thoughts, feelings, and opinions... and he values them. He is my partner. He is also my leader. He is mostly my friend. He is my heart. He is the reason for the smile on my face. I love coming home to Jake.

I cannot believe it has been a year. We have been married an entire year. Wow. I mean, I won't lie, not all of it has been a walk in the park. To be honest, though, the things that went wrong were never between the two of us. Jake and I really don't fight. There's just not really anything worth fighting over when I think about the fact that I have to share a home with this man for the rest of my life. It really puts things into perspective. lol We went through a lot in our first year of marriage. We still have many more struggles to get through... many many more mountains to climb... but I cannot tell you how much easier life is knowing that someone is on your side and helping you through. It is just the best feeling ever.

So, to Jake: You are my heart. You are the sunshine in my day... my life. Thank you. Thank you for being you. Thank you for loving me exactly as I am. Thank you for your strength that I have called upon time and time again this year. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your understanding. Thank you for your last name. Thank you for your promise... and for keeping it. I choose you, Jake. Every day. Every moment. I choose you.

Us at the beach the second month we were dating.

After we signed our marriage license!

Leaving the reception.

Looking into the future ;)

Celebrate!

Us at my sister's wedding in June 2010.

Happy First Year Anniversary, Mr. MilShelb Dad! ;)

Thank You Very Much

Thank you very much:
-stupid people who rent out houses. If I say I have dogs and need a fence I do NOT mean I would take a house without a fence. Stop sending me to houses with NO FENCE! Duh!!!!
- stupid dog food that is making my sweet Shelby sick. I love cleaning diarrhea off of my floor. Wonderful.
-stupid town we are moving to for not having available rentals at a price I can afford. Why in God's name would someone pay $1800 for a house to RENT?! Um, no. No thank you.
-wonderful landlord that I currently have. I love having fallen trees lay in my yard for weeks. Don't get mad when the grass is super long and crappy looking. We can't get to the grass to cut it!
-people who won't return phone calls and give me straight answers. May not seem like a big deal to you- but it's messing up my plans!
-dishonest people on Craigslist who list houses for rent. You are wasting my TIME!! I need to find a house and NO I will not be sending the money to AFRICA because you are a "missionary"! I was not born yesterday "Mr. Scammer".
-days that fly by when I need them to slow down. I am running out of time. I have to move by the end of the month and still haven't found a house to live in!!! AHHHHHH!!
- people who keep telling me I have plenty of time. No. No I don't. I have to move, set up a house, and set up a classroom all within the next 3ish weeks. Not easy. There is NOT plenty of time!

Blog The Change

I came across this a few weeks ago and have been waiting to participate. I believe that animal shelters and rescue groups are so important. Milly and Shelby did not come from shelters, they were given to us from my husband's parents. That being said, however, animal rescue is something near and dear to my heart. It is something I want to be more involved in. It's not an easy thing though. It takes time, money, and an unselfish heart. 

A couple of years ago when I was in college I volunteered for Cullen's Archangel Rescue (CARE). I did not do nearly as much as the other volunteers, but I saw first hand just how hard the job is. It is emotionally draining. However, that group of people truly enjoyed rescuing animals. They loved the animals. They helped them to find better homes. They still do, I'm just not there anymore. Once, while volunteering, I volunteered to go to an animal shelter in the Columbia area. It was awful. All of those poor animals. On the way home I cried and cried. I felt awful. We had rescued two dogs... but there were soooo many more. The conditions of the shelter made me sick. I know they were doing what they could with limited funds, but it was horrible. 

You know, the thing is that all of this suffering could be prevented. All of this has come about by the irresponsible actions of humans. It truly is not the animals' faults. It's ours. That is what makes it so difficult. You know, it's kind of like when people go to jail- except (almost always) they have done something to deserve that. These animals have not. 

Please spay/neuter your pet. Please don't breed animals while so many are in shelters needing homes. If you do breed animals, please be responsible about breeding. Please consider local shelters or animal rescue groups. Please remember that a pet is a pet for life. It is not only an animal to sit outside your house chained to a tree or stuck in a fence, it is a member of your pack. It will be loyal and true and faithful to you... be the person who deserves that.

I have said it before and I truly mean it with all of my heart: I try every single day to be the person that Milly and Shelby deserve for me to be. I don't always succeed, but I always try my hardest.

Milly and Shelby, you will never know a day when you are left at a shelter, alone and forgotten, abandoned. You will always be loved. You will always be appreciated. You will always be my heart. I will always have your best interests at heart and in mind. You are not just my "dogs"; you are my baby girls and I love you... and I will forever.

Milly

Shelby

Wordless Wednesday

I Loathe Packing

I hate packing. Does anyone else feel this way? Packing is the pits. I'm not talking about packing for trips, though I do also despise that task, I am talking about packing to move. Packing is difficult. It reminds you of many things. For example, I am a pack-rat. I keep everything. However, I have been throwing stuff out left and right this time. I also have soooo many clothes. I love clothes. I buy clothes all the time... or used to. I love shoes and scarfs and coats and jeans and tank tops... you get the picture. I just love clothes. My husband also owns a great deal of clothes. Between the two of us we could easily fill up a small UHaul with just our clothes. Last time we moved we rented a 24-foot Budget truck. 24 foot. Yes. You see that. You are correct. We are two people with two small dogs... and we packed that thing out. We more than packed it out. We couldn't even fit all of our stuff in it! We ran out of room... by a lot. So, you can see why I dread packing. I have already packed up my guest bedroom. I have started on my kitchen stuff, because, let's face it, I don't cook. The H packed up most of our random living room things. We told Milly to pack up her toys. She promptly gave us a dirty look and trotted out the door. Guess we'll pack that last. 

Along with packing everything I own, I also have to clean this house. I am no good at "keeping" a house. I am messy. The house isn't dirty, it's just messy. So, while packing I have to clean out and then clean up everything. 

We are really having problems finding a house. I don't understand why. We just have 4 things we must have. We must have a fence. We must have a dishwasher (no really. this is a must. it will kill my marriage if there is not one.). We must have little to no carpet. I really prefer no carpet but can deal with very little. We must have no stairs. Those of you who have doxies understand that those are bad bad bad for them. Milly and Shelby, however, do not understand that. They LOVE stairs. Whenever we are around them they feel the need to run up and down the stairs. Not good.

Anyhow, I'm back to packing... and griping. lol

Day 30 of 30 Day Journal

Holy Cow! I am so glad to be done with this thing! I am not good with sticking to something after I get bored with it... but I am proud of myself for finishing this.

So, day 30 of the 30 day blog journal is "A Dream for the Future".

My dream for the future is simple. It is that Jake and I will one day (hopefully sooner rather than later) be debt-free. We will be able to enjoy everything we have and are working so hard for.

Overwhelmed

Can we say "overwhelmed"??? Man. I am so overwhelmed. There is so much going on. We have looked and looked for somewhere to live and have not found anywhere yet. We are, yet again, making a trip tomorrow to look for a house to rent. Hopefully we will find something. I am so sick of looking! lol We don't have a lot of demands for a house, but the things we want are not negotiable and make it difficult to find something. Apparently, finding a house with a fenced-in yard and little/no carpet is like finding a needle in a haystack. Who knew?
On top of looking for somewhere to live, I still need to move things to my classroom and set it all up. This will take me ten years. No... not really. I mean, I just have to get in there and get it done. I'm ok with that though. I'm actually really looking forward to setting everything up!
I happened to realize today while sitting in church that today is July 11th. I have exactly 1 month until I start school. (Not the kids... just the teachers.) Yikes!! That really made me cringe.
So, I need to find somewhere to live, move, set up a house and a classroom in less than a month. Really? Ha! I'll ask you one more time, can we say "overwhelmed"?!
I'm not freaking out though. Really. I know this post may seem like it, but I'm not. I am a little worried that I will be super stressed, but I am not yet. I'm just beginning to feel overwhelmed. I know I have enough time to do all of this stuff. I know that. I just think once I move some stuff into my classroom (hopefully this week) I will feel much better. Did you see that? "MY CLASSROOM"!!! Yay!!!!

"Somebody Said It" Sunday

I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world.

~Thomas A. Edison

(This is a picture of myself, my younger sister, and my older sister a few years ago at a Gamecock football game.)

Day 29 of 30 Day Blog Journal

Day 29... Hopes, Dreams, Plans for the next 365 days.
Wow. What a hard one to write. Not because I haven't thought about it... but because there's just so much! So, I'll list 'em out for you! :)

1. Next Sunday (the 18th) is my 1 year wedding anniversary. I hope, dream, and plan for many many more anniversaries! :) (But, at least my plan for next year is to be able to take some sort of mini-vacation with Jake for our anniversary. We didn't get to go anywhere this summer and we didn't go on a honeymoon... so I'd love to go on a vacation next year!)
2. I hope to be successful in my first year of teaching (which starts sooo soon). I hope to have things under control and learn a lot before my eval year next year.
3. I am dreaming about buying a house! Jake and I so want to buy our first house in the next year (or 2 maybe). I am so excited! We are making plans to save money and get things in order to make this dream come true.
4. I plan to spend my weekends and evenings with my family, friend, Jake, and especially my MilShelb. I know I will miss them soooo much when I am at work. I haven't actually ever had to be away from them all day for 5 days a week for a whole school year. This will be an adjustment for me and for them.

I could go on forever... but these are the most important ones. :)

Day 28 of 30 Day Journal

Day 28- What's in Your Purse??

Well, As you can see, lots of stuff!! After dumping all of this on to the floor for this photo I decided to clean it out. Good thing, huh? 

Day 27 of 30 Day Blog Juornal

Day 27 is My Worst Habit

I have a lot of habits people may consider "bad". I bite my nails. I text people all the time. I don't wash dishes until they are piled high (who am I kidding? I don't wash dishes. If it can't go in the dishwasher I don't use it). I leave my cups/glasses everywhere (this drives my husband crazy). I leave a trail of belonging when I come in the house... you know, purse here, shoes there, phone here, jacket there... etc. (This also drives my husband nuts.) I don't put my clothes away. I leave them in a folded pile on the dryer or on the guest bed (and I only move them there when my husband complains about the pile on the dryer). I sound like a horrible and lazy person. I'm not lazy though. I'm really not. I just am easily side-tracked and only get half-way through things and then get side-tracked to other things and forget to go back to the first things until days later... or never. I suppose my worst habit is only half-way finishing chores. That's pretty bad, isn't it??

I hate to admit it, but this is what my coffee table currently looks like. this is only my mess. Yikes. You want to know the worst part of it? Jake (the H) cleaned this Saturday... and I had it junked up by Monday. Oh gosh. I really need to do better.

Art :)

Ok, so it's art. I think. I'm really not sure. lol 

Anyhow, I made it. :) I'm planning to frame it and hang it in our bedroom. We'll see if I actually do that. It turned out really well though considering that it's the first cross-stitch thingy I've ever done. :)

Day 26 of 30 Day Blog Journal

Your week, in great detail.

I'll go ahead and tell you- this will be lacking in detail. lol

Sunday- Taught Sunday school, church, home, messed around on this dumb computer, watched tv, played in yard with MilShelb, went to parent's house for sister's bday for dinner, home, watched more tv, blogged, bed.

Monday- pretty much sat around. (I should have written all of this down so I could write this blog- but I didn't. Too bad.)

Tuesday- See yesterday's post.

Today- house hunt again. Yuck.

Day 25 of 30 Day Blog Journal

Ok, today's journal is "your day in great detail". I am writing about yesterday (Tuesday).

Got up at 7:40(ish)... because Milly and Shelby decided it was time for me to get up.
Went to the living room and checked email, facebook, blogs, etc.
(Did that for WAY too long- like a few hours lol)
In my defense I was also looking for rental properties online because we will be moving sometime soon for my job. (YAY!)
Sat on the couch and watched tv with Milly and Shelby. Got annoyed by Milly and her stupid tennis ball.
Took a shower around 11:30.
Made Jake (the H) and myself a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch.
Dried my hair (yuck. I need a haircut). Put on makeup (not much though because it's so HOT here it really only melts off after about 10 minutes outside.)
Checked my email once more.
Got in the car with the H and drove to the town we are moving to.
Tried to look at some houses. LOL. Key word being tried.
Had Sonic burger, fries, and Lemon Drop (new) slushie. It was DELISH!
Drove around some more looking for potential homes.
Met lady about a house. Looked at it. Loved it. Decided maybe it is a scam. Time shall tell.
Drove home.
Fed MilShelb and let them out to play.
Threw the STUPID tennis ball.
Checked email, facebook, blogs.
Looked for more houses.
Watched tv and ate some popcorn (yes. I had popcorn for dinner).
Watched HawthoRNe with the H.
Looked for more houses.
Wrote this blog.
Checked more email, etc.
Took Milly and Shelby to bed.
Go to sleep.


How boring is that. I will say, however, that my days change every single day. I have next to no routine right now because my job doesn't start until August.

Day 24 of 30 Day Blog Journal

Where I live.

Well, I am having a hard time with this post because I don't believe in posting exacts about where I live.

However, I will say, I live in good ol' South Cackalacky (that's South Carolina, for those of you who don't know). 

I love South Carolina. There is truly nothing finer than being a Carolina Gamecock! 

We've got beaches. 

We've got mountains. 

(This is actually the view from the chapel where my parents got married.)

In fact, if you're not from here you'd probably say we even have our own language. 

For example, we are never "about to" do something. We're "fixin' to". We don't shop at "Food Lion". We shop at "Food Line." (We realize it is Lion, but we draw out the I and leave out the O lol.) We don't have "birthdays", we have "birtdays." My husband's personal favorite is when people say, "Great Day!" or "Great day in the mornin'!" He had never heard that and thinks it is soooo funny! This blog post sums it up perfectly.

My most recent pride point is that the Gamecocks baseball team are National Champions! I mean, Go Cocks! That's all I can say.

The thing is. I was born an raised in South Carolina. I am a Southern girl at heart. Y'all is part of my daily vocabulary. I LOVE sweet tea. I love grits. I can go out and get dirty on a four-wheeler and still dress up and be the belle of the ball the next hour. There is something great about the Southern way of life. It's slow paced. It's friendly. No one thinks you're crazy when you smile and wave at people you don't know. No one gives you a funny look when you talk to them in the line at Walmart.

If you've never been to South Carolina... it's worth the trip!!

Day 23 of 30 Day Blog Journal

Day 23 is "A YouTube Video"... well, I'm not much for YouTube... but I do sometimes watch music videos on there. Here's one of my favorites...


Norah Jones, Come Away With Me

"Somebody Said It" Sunday

A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.

~Arnold H. Glasow

Day 22 of 30 Day Blog Journal

Day 22 is a website. Well, other than blogs, forums, email, and facebook I'm not much of a website girl... So, I am not sure what to put. I thought about it and I decided to post about the animal rescue group I used to volunteer for when I lived in Columbia.

Cullen's Archangel Rescue

It's a great organization with people who really truly care about animals. Check it out!!

Happy Birthday, Danielle!

Today is July 4th... in all American's lives it is an important day. Happy 4th of July!!

In my life, it is also my little sister's birthday... Happy Birthday, Danielle!!

Danielle, 

I am so proud of you. You have grown up so much... and into such a beautiful woman. I am proud to call you my little sister. I am excited for your future, your recent marriage, your world full of possibilities! I hope you have a wonderful birthday! I love you!