"Hip Hip Hooray for Christmas Vacation"

Ugly Christmas sweater party, hand crafted awesomeness right there people.

24th birthday party: went shooting my new gun and snowmobiling.

New Year's Eve at our house.

(Although we might perceive to be dunk, and James clearly looks mentally unstable in the first picture, remember appearances can be deceiving.)

And now I'm horribly depressed because Christmas vacation is over, and I have to go to work tomorrow. Ugh, back to real life.

The Good, the Bad, and the Alveys

Here is a quick recap of the past month, with all it's awesomeness, all it's horribleness, and all it's regularness.

The Awesomeness:

First, we celebrated James's 24th birthday. It was a hunting themed party, since Boo likes to hunt so much.

Yeah, people I made that awesome camo cake.

Everyone enjoying the party, especially mom for some reason. I have no idea what is so funny.

The Horribleness:

James and I were looking forward to telling everyone over Christmas that we were going to have a baby. Unfortunately, after an ER visit the night of James's birthday, lots of blood tests, a few ultrasounds, and bad news about certain things making it difficult for me to carry a baby, a long, drawn-out two weeks ended worse than it had began. I miscarried at around 6 weeks. After a few days off work, some moping around, some hating the world (especially people that have kids,) I finally decided I had to move on. So we're doing ok with it now.

And about Thanksgiving, well that's what we were dealing with over that holiday, so it wasn't the greatest Thanksgiving ever. (I was still in my "I hate everyone" phase that day. I may have wanted to pick up the turkey and throw it at people, maybe.)

The bright side of the horribleness is that I realize what an amazing person I married.

I love you, Boo.

The Regularness:

Church callings are not my most favorite thing, but dang, they sure do like me. I was called as a Sunday School teacher for about a second, just enough time to teach one horrible lesson. I am now called as the 2nd counselor in the Young Woman's. I think I may have liked my once a month teaching job better.

I have almost made it through a half a year of teaching! I may have yelled or swore at a few kids, but I have not killed or beat any of them. They have actually been a really good group of kids to teach, and we FINALLY made it through reading The Hunger Games after two and a half months! I was sick of it by the end, but they LOVED it.

And, now we are getting ready for Christmas, which I love. This year's Lloyd Christmas party is going to be awesome, and just let me tell you fam, my ugly Christmas sweater is pretty awesome, so is James's.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday, Boo

Ok, this is pretty late coming. James birthday was Thursday, but we've been having some life issues, so this is the first chance I've had to post it.

Look what he can do!

175ish pounds

A whooping 6ft. 3 in.

Head circumference = big (not as big as mine though)

Milestones:

Doesn't like sleeping that much

Walks surprisingly fast

Still hasn't mastered the art of whispering, but is improving

Eats everything

Is quite gassy

Loves to make loud, annoying noises just to tick me off

Favorite shows of late: How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory

Enjoys frantically waving, much like a lunatic, at random people that drive by

Loves shooting at, killing, blowing up . . . EVERYTHING still

Jeez, isn't he just growing up so fast!

Happy 24th Birthday!

This is Like an Oprah Episode: Full of Random Crap and I Intend to Talk About Myself a Lot

First thing's first. If you're looking for a good book to read, one that you can be mindlessly sucked into like Twilight or The Hunger Games (not to say the The Hunger Games is as horribly written as Twilight because I'm reading it with my students right now, and I think there are some definite merits to the book, anway,) I just read a new book by Veronica Roth called Divergent. It's the first of a triology. (The second unfortunately doesn't release until May of next year.) It's got a dystopic society/corrupt government theme like The Hunger Games that I like in books for some reason. Anyway, I'm just saying it'll probably be one of those books that explodes when they decide to make a movie of it, which I guess is already in the works. Definitely not the next great piece of American literature, but an entertaining read. So, Chad and Amanda, you wanted a book recommendation; there it is. I'll even lend you my copy.

Next, oh yeah, it was Halloween, and we "festivitied" it up. Okay, so we carved pumpkins like we normally do, but we were actually home to give out candy this year, which James loves to do for some reason. I do not, however. But, I did win the GVMS faculty costume contest! (Sorry, no pics of that.)

Last, I've recently discovered a great joy in buying crappy things from the DI and making them less crappy. Also, just buying cheap, random things at Ross.

Sweet metal, old-school bicycle: got at DI for $10.00.

Box with painting on it: got at DI for $2.00.

Very tall candle holder thing: got at DI for $1.00.

Bird house that I painted: got at DI for $1.00

Most awesome birdcage: got at Ross for $10.00.

Random things that I love above my cabinets: totally worth it!

Now this little beauty (my menu board because yeah people I have OCD and plan out my meals like a school cafeteria,) I fashioned out of the bottom of a treadmill that didn't work, painted it with chalkboard paint, painted some strips of wood for the boarder, and made James nail them on for me. Plus, the fall thing hanging on it, I made out of letters, wire, leafs, and hot glue.

My kitchen sign, just in case anyone gets really confused as to where my kitchen is. I got a metal board at a boutique for $3.00 and those letters for 1.00.

My box of crap (mostly for James because I don't like it when crap is laying around). He made it. I painted it.

Now, my fat kitchen man I got at Ross for like $2.00, and I made the sign from a plate I got at DI for $0.75, and then painted it with chalkboard paint.

The pitcher I got at DI for maybe $2.00, and I spray painted it green.

Please ignore the crappy picture. I made the fall wreath a while ago. It's a yarn one, and they are a huge pain because they take so long, but we just barely put up the vinyl "welcome" sign on the door.

And last, I got this sign from DI for $2.00 thanks to Trisha finding it for me.

Why didn't I realize DI was so fun a long time ago?

Kitchen Renovation

When James and I bought this house we bought it knowing that the kitchen was in need of some major repair. This picture doesn't do the grossness of it justice, but if you look closely at the corener by the stove you might be able to tell there is no counter top. We covered up the missing pieces with bits of white board until we could get it replaced. Yeah, that's really white trash.

All of the laminate on the countertops was bubbling up/peeling off, and the cabniets and wall under the sink was molding away from some sort of leak.

So this is the before.

This is the during, and yeah unfortunately the damage under and behind the sink was worse than we thought, so my kitchen was in this state for a few days.

We had no sink or running water in the kitchen for several days, and yeah that's a pile of dirty dishes on the stove. Awesome!



Luckily James is the world's best handy man. He can fix everything!

He only had a few freakouts during the process where he had to go outside and yell and beat things. One of the freakouts may or may not have involved this lazy suzanne being in his way.

And now I have a sink that I dare put my dishes in,

and actual countertops, not white boards,


and courntertops that don't make my want to disinfect them every thirty seconds.

The finished product!
(Now we just need to get rid of that ancient stove, and it will be perfect!)

On to the next things to fix: finish painting the rest of the house.

Holy, It's Been Two Years!

This is my photo montage of the past two years, accompanied to two of my favorite songs/two of James' least favorite songs. Enjoy!

"This is the First Day of My Life"

This is the first day of my life. I swear I was born right in the door way.

I went out in the rain suddenly everything changed; they're spreading blankets on the beach.

Yours is the first face that I saw. Think I was blind before I met you.



Now I don't know where I am, don't know where I've been, but I know where I want to go.



And so I thought I'd let you know, these things take forever. I especially am slow.






But, I realize that I need you, and I wonder if I could come home.





Remember the time you drove all night just to meet me in the morning.

And I thought it was strange, you said everything changed. You felt as if you just woke up.

And I said, "This is the first day of my life. I'm glad I didn't die before I met you.

But I don't care, I could go anywhere with you, and I'd probably be happy."

So if you want to be with me, with these things there's no telling, we'll just have to wait and see.

But I'd rather be working for a paycheck than waiting to win the lottery.

Besides maybe this time is different; I mean I really think you like me.

"The Way I Am"

If you were falling, then I would catch you.

You need a light, I'd find a match.

Cause I love the way you say good morning,

and you take me the way I am.

If you are chilly, here take my sweater.

Your head is aching, I'll make it better.

Cause I love the way you call me baby,

and you take me the way I am.

I'd buy you Rogane when you start losing all your hair.

Sew on patches to all you tear.

Cause I love you more than I could ever promise,

and you take me the way I am.

You take me the way I am.

HAPPY SECOND ANNIVERSARY, BOO! I've loved every minute of it!

(Yes Amanda, I theft your idea. Great idea by the way!)