Holidays

Merry Christmas to you and yours, readers. Hope your holidays were festive, and continue to be throughout the New Year.

I had the opportunity to work on my domestic diva skills. While many of you may think this involves the more difficult activities of domestic life, this actually only involves the very basics. Many people learn to simultaneously cook a full meal, do laundry, iron, and dust with the best of them. I, however, have an attention span problem. Yes, the ability to focus long enough to complete any of these tasks from start to finish completely escapes me.

Take this week, for instance. Our washing machine caught on fire the 23rd. The crack maintenance department at our apartment showed up, kicked the engine a few times, tightened some lug nuts, kicked the engine more, and suggested babysitting the machine for the next few loads of laundry. Anyone who knows me understands the difficulty of this task.

Of course, I stayed away from the machine long enough to ensure it would not explode the next time it was touched (and for Jeff to examine the damage thus far). The next day, however, as I stared down the pile of laundry that was mocking me, I took a deep breath and plunged in. As soon as the washing machine started, the problems began.

First, it started with a funny clicking noise that soon escalated into some gun-like bangs. As I approached it to shut off the machine, the ENTIRE FRONT of the washing machine shot across our laundry room. I thought the situation could not get worse... I quickly closed the laundry room doors and ran to the living room to call Jeff to get his advice. It's safe to say he was as flabergasted as I, as the scenario left him speechless.

I approached the laundry room sideways one slow step at a time, bracing myself with each step for the doors to be blown off and an explosion to follow. Almost there... So far, nothing. Then I smelled it... the flames were hidden somewhere inside the machine and smoke was beginning to curl up. In my wisdom I screamed like a banshee, unplugged the machine, and doused it with water in one deft move.

My domestic abilities are improving, believe it or not. This experience did not involve the fire department, and for that I am thankful.

This holiday season, let us pause to remember the experiences that make us who we are, the people that have shaped us, and everything we are thankful for. Happy Holidays.

Memories

There are few things I enjoy more than my family and those I love. In fact, I would venture to say that there is nothing. Since Jeff and I's engagement, the people we love are determined to make sure Jeff and I each know EVERYTHING about each other (the good and the bad) in case we want to change our minds before blowing money on the upcoming wedding. A couple of things have come up on my side that I had completely forgotten about, made me smile, and that I would like to share with all of you. Enjoy. :)

First, my parents had a heck of a time teaching me about empathy and feelings. Either I didn't get it enough ("You mean I'M the only one that feels anything?!") or I got it waaaaaay too much ("Everything has feelings! I get it now!"). Now, as it turns out, the idea that really stuck with me was that EVERYTHING had feelings, from other people to animals to rocks, cars, and trees. It makes sense in a childish sort of manner... plants wilt when people don't talk to them, trees droop when people don't take care of them, rocks get... cold, cars don't start and get cantankerous. Plus, there are the dozens of tv shows and movies aimed at kids that give inanimate objects human qualities (The Brave Little Toaster, anyone?).

Needless to say, this idea resulted in the foundation of many childhood stories: the time I spent an entire winter smuggling in rocks and sticks to keep them warm, the hugs goodnight and well wishes that I went through when I thought nobody was watching, and the ritual of waving 'Goodbye' to things when we parted... the list goes on and on.

The second memory I would like to share with you is one of fire safety. When I was in 1st grade, we began our fire safety planning at school. This included drawing blueprints of our houses, mapping out escape routes, and practicing getting to our 'meeting spot' as quickly as possible with whatever we needed to stay safe.

So, of course, I was completely prepared the day my Mom accidentally burned something in the oven. I was all about following our fire plan, but my Dad was determined that it could be put out without the need for outside help. My parents listened to my crying fears, and told me I needed to do whatever I needed to do to feel safe. So I followed our fire protocol to the letter, including grabbing our cordless phone on the way out. My teachers would have been proud.

Following the fire protocol, I dialed 911 (in complete hysterics, at this time). I gave them our address, told the lady there was a fire in our house, and that I was safely outside. She then asked where my family was, and I sobbed my way through "they...are...still...inside...I...couldn't...get...them...out..." My Dad came out to check on me at around the same time that the ambulances, long firetrucks, and team of Emergency Responders rounded the corner. Our eyes locked, he saw the phone in my hand, and he just started laughing.

We are incredibly pleased and happy for all the trips down memory lane. If you, readers, have any particularly funny stories from our respective pasts, please feel free to share. I only ask that you make sure it is family friendly and does not incriminate either of us in anything illegal. :) I will let Jeff pick a few to share as well.

Hope all is well with you and yours. :)

Been Awhile

Hey guys, sorry it's been so long. Here's a picture to make it up to you:



Let's see, what have we been up to? Thanksgiving was great; my folks came up and we had a big holiday feast at Jaye's. It was definitely a good time for family bonding and for both of our families to get to know each other more. Not to mention the beginning of (organized) wedding planning!!!

By Tuesday, we had the dress, the celebrant, the church, the reception site, and the photographer. Hooray!!! Now to wait another year or so to actually use them and figure out how to pay for it. :)

The past weekend we went down to Spearville for my an old classmate's wedding. Needless to say, it was a beautiful ceremony and the reception did not disappoint. Too bad we left just as things were really getting started:



Oh, and we got to spend some quality time with friends and family, even if it never seems to be enough.

It seems as though time has flown by this week. We were bomboarded with snow and ice, and I skipped my FIRST master's class to get home before the roads got too bad (and then was having anxiety issues all night)!!! AND it was the very last class of the semester for me!!!

I was fortunate enough to spend the day with Jaye, where we took Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts by storm. I am not sure which was scarier to the clerks, our overflowing basket of fabric bolts or our hurried rush to shove more in there. It was a great time, and now we have several more ideas on what colors are compatible and would work for the wedding decorations.

My practicum is going well. The semester ends for my practicum next Friday, and time has really flown by. Other than being incredibly exhausted, I love absolutely every single second ot it and am very sad to see the semester end.

Hope all is well with you and yours. :)

The Engagement, Her Version

Sunday the 16 started off like any normal day.

I found myself at work that morning pondering the usual things: What is the meaning of life, how many peanuts can I stick up my nose before it begins to bleed, and how do monkeys stay on those unicycles when they are banging the cymbals...

When I got off work, I'll admit I was a little cranky. I'd spent the last 4 hours with idiots. Not even just idiots, but idiots who I'm convinced had the bad habit of popping "stupid steriods." There is just no other explanation for some people, you know?

Anywho, I was headed for home, and called a sleepy-sounding Jeff to tell him I would soon be making an arrival. Looking at the clock, I had roughly 30 minutes to shower and get ready for the family dinner.

Jeff said to me, "Wow, you're home already. Should I call Mom and tell her we will be early?" ... Looking back, I think he meant to say "late," but the "early" part of it freaked me out... I still had to shower and get ready! So I quickly made my way that way...

I got ready in record time so we could head to Jaye's early (as the birthday boy wanted), and stepped out of the shower to see rose petals everywhere. Red and white ones. My breath caught in my throat... 'Could it be?' I thought to myself... "Baby?!" I called down the hallway... "You should follow the path" came the strangled reply.

So I did. At the end of the path was Jeff. I quickly scanned his hands for a ringbox and looked at his pockets for a box-like bulge. Nothing. Ok, false alarm. My heart slowed a bit and I took some deep breaths.

"I have to ask you an important question." With that his eyes began to tear up (and I believe I may have begun jumping in place). "Heather Dawn Hawkins..." I could see his lips moving, but my heart was beating too loudly for me to hear anything else. He slid the ring off his pinky and placed it on my hand. By this time, we were both crying and hugging each other, and I was also on my knees without a clue on how I'd gotten there.

So that's this side of the story, kids. Sunday the 16th I started off with a boyfriend and ended the day with a fiance, and we couldn't have been happier.

Jeff and Heather's Wild And Not-So-Wild Weekend

Hello All! John Mayer here! Okay, not really. Wouldn't that be somethin'? It's really just me, Jeff.

Let it be known that this past weekend was a busy, wonderful and life-changing span of three days. It all started out with my birthday. Yay! I survived another year! We woke up Friday and had a wonderful breakfast, brought to us by the lovely and beautiful Heather, from Panera Bread Company. Mmmm...love those breakfast quiches and pastries. We then spent the morning deciding on when to go see Quantum of Solace. Guess who picked that movie. It was actually way better than expected and impressed us on many levels, mostly the blow-them-up and kill-'em levels. After the movie ended, we decided that it was time to grab some lunch. It was actually around two o'clock, so whatever that is called, we got that too.

We attempted to go to Sakura for some sushi, but their lunch counter was closing when we got there and they didn't want to serve any more people as they probably wanted a break. So very bummed out and a little more than hungry, we went to Holy Land Cafe. We had a wonderful meal and had a few laughs. After lunch or whatever it is called, we decided to go home to just chill out for the rest of the evening.

Once we got home, Heather gave me the rest of my presents. Heather had been giving me little cards all day long, and she had already given me roses and a card the night before. Beautiful, deep-red roses to be descriptive. She gave me the gift of Fable 2 for X-BOX 360. I have been playing it non-stop ever since, life providing of course.

Saturday, Heather had to work during the day and I played video games with my friend James for most of the morning and early afternoon. James also took me out to an awesome lunch at Italian Delight, a favorite little Italian joint since high school for both of us. I would like to say thank you to James for making the trip from Wichita and seeing me while he was in town.

On Saturday evening, Heather and I had been invited to attend an early Thanksgiving celebration and Adam and Amanda's house. So we got our big eating pants on and journeyed over to their house to eat some traditional Thanksgiving fair at a non-traditional Thanksgiving time. Adam, Amanda, Allison and Michael all did a wonderful job in bringing the meal together. We thank them all for inviting us to the meal and getting together with us. I would like to thank them for inviting us.

Sunday was a big day! Lets see here. Where to start? I know...

Scene: Thursday, November 13th, 2008 (5:?? PM)
Jeff, that's me, is traveling home from work. He stops off at an undisclosed location to pick up a non-descript package. His cover? An emergency at work that will take him some time to sort out.
Jeff's stress level: 65%
Heather's suspicion level: 20% (estimated, duh)

Scene: Friday, November 14th, 2008 (All day)
Birthday celebration, day 1.
Jeff's stress level: -20% (yeah, home does wonders for the stress level)
Heather's suspicion level: Oh, look! String!

Scene: Saturday, November 15th, 2008 (All day)
Birthday celebration, day 2.
Jeff's stress level: 40% (gaming and had a dinner in the evening, multiple schedulings make me stressed)
Heather's suspicion level: Unknown, hates work though.

Scene: Sunday, November 16th, 2008 (there was time?)
1:00 PM--
Jeff, still me, had gone to the grocery store for roses (hmm...) and supplies for the next week. You know, your standard food and flowers run.
Jeff's stress level: 85% (shopping for groceries is fun!)
2:00 PM--
Jeff goes to second grocery store because first one did not have roses.
Jeff's stress level: 95% (stupid grocery stores...)
2:30 PM--
Jeff goes home to put groceries away and make roses into rose petals.
Jeff's stress level: 90% (roses are fragile, kids)
2:45 PM--
Heather calls Jeff to tell him she is on the way home.
Jeff's stress level: OH...MY...GOD!
3:00 PM--
After hiding the rose petals Jeff has made already and hiding the evidence, Heather gets home and hops into the shower.
Jeff's stress level: Just keep moving. Just keep moving.
3:01 PM--
Jeff starts decorating the apartment by making a rose petal path to the living room from the bedroom.
Jeff's stress level: Pain...in...shoulder...
3:05 PM--
SHORTEST SHOWER EVER! Jeff dumps the bucket of petals on the ground and goes to the living room and gets down on one knee. What ever for...?
Jeff's stress level: Doesn't matter. On auto-pilot now.
3:07 PM--
Heather is dressed. Jeff is in living room. Heather materializes out of thin air. How does she do that? Jeff snaps out of it and asks her that all-important and life-changing question...

Heather accepts the proposal (that is what I was doing) and the rest is history. Well not actually. My mother had invited us over for dinner at her house with my uncle John and his girlfriend Chris. We had a wonderful evening and watched "Made of Honor." It's a funny movie.

To summarize, I got older, ate a ton of food with my good friends who I consider family, got engaged and had dinner with my mom and my uncle. All things taken into account, it was a wonderful weekend and one I will not soon forget.

For those who weren't paying attention or like to read ahead, HEATHER AND I ARE ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED! Stay tuned for a date!

Regards,
Jeff "The Mighty Wind" Jones and Heather "The Happiest Girl on Earth" Hawkins

Veteran's Day

This week, I'd like to change the tone of my posts just a little. Today, especially since it is Veteran's Day, I would like to take a moment to honor all past and current military personnel and the families that put it all on the line.

This is for the men and women who volunteered to go into battle and for those who had no choice. This is for those who have been or are currently being denied any assistance from the government after sacrificing their bodies, their health, and at times, their sanity. For those who have to have special accommodations to live, those who have no home, and those who lost everything, we thank you. For those who lay awake at night tormented by the memories that destroy any peace they may have, we thank you.

This is for the families of those in the service, who have risked losing a husband, wife, fiance, boyfriend, girlfriend, father, brother, mother, sister, son, daughter, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, or cousin for our rights. For those who have laid awake at night worrying about a loved one, and who watch the rest of the world go by without their hero, we thank you for your sacrifice.

For the vets who have no home, are struggling with addictions and demons of their own, and those who are ignored, we remember. For the families that have been torn apart long after their service ended, for those who are still fighting battles, we support you.

And for those of you who choose to work in this population, where the work is long, hard, and frustrating, with little compensation or reward, we thank you for taking the time to navigate all the hoops set up to prevent getting many the care they need. Thank you for advocating a great cause so that millions are no longer overlooked.

No matter what your political affiliation or your opinion on wars or conflicts, today is a day set aside to remember those who sacrificed.

To past and present service men and women, families of service men or women, and those fighting for them:

THANK YOU!

Halloween weekend

This past Halloween was much like every other weekend we have: jam packed with family fun!

Following a thrilling 2 day DBT training, we headed to Weston, MO for a surprise birthday party. I was surprised to find Weston was the home of many things, including a typical struggling college student's friend. We surpassed this particular area of town for the Pirtle Winery. With some time to kill before the birthday celebration, Jeff, Jaye, and I sampled award winning wines and decided to buy enough to support this business through the upcoming winter months.

Next, we snuck across the street to The Vineyards Restaurant before the birthday boy arrived. John had no idea we had driven up, and we shared dinner and laughter over candle light in this quaint old cottage. I can assure you, this was the best food any of us have EVER tasted.


Saturday brought time with my brother at our annual football game tradition. Each year, my brother and I select a KU football game to attend (usually falling between our birthdays) and go together as our big gift to each other. This year was no exception, and we gladly attended the KU/K-State Sunflower Showdown. For those of you who did not get to see it, the game went something like this.


Finally, the evening ended with a winning streak at the Argosy... a winning streak for everyone but me, that is. I'm sure the Argosy appreciated my contribution to their light bill. I left $5 up, but spent a good amount to win that money back. Other winners include: my brother. Yep, that's it. He's a lucky guy, and left with significantly heavier pockets.

Overall, it was a great weekend (one that we are still recovering from). Hope your Halloween weekend was fun and safe. :)

The Big 2 - 5

Yesterday I turned 25. Thinking back, 25 always seemed so far away. After all, it is the reference point for an entire decade. Think about it. At 25, "early 20's" turns into "middle to late 20's" as if there is no difference between 25 and the last day of 29.

While I know life is just beginning and there are many more adventures in store for me, I thought this would be the perfect time to reflect on some of what the past 24 years and 1 day held for me:

Age
4 - first boyfriend... both of them. it was over when they figured it out.

4/5/6 - named Little Miss Kansas, starred in commercials for ice cream shops

6 - Over the Rainbow (pageant) created category and named me first winner: Friendship Award

7 - first detention for working ahead in class and stealing a chair

14 - first "real" boyfriend, first kiss

15 - first bad softball injury, first knee surgery, first job, first car (all connected)

17 - first overseas trip (russia), first real heartbreak, accepted to Ottawa University

18 - graduated high school and left home for Ottawa

21 - graduated with 4 year degree in 3 years, named co-captain and 'most inspirational player' for OU softball, first real job

22 - met the man who will forever change my life for the better, Jeff

23 - accepted into graduate school, began my Master's education

25 - well, so far today i managed to get out of bed and spend time with the people i love. i am lucky, and there is so much more to look forward to.


i want to thank everyone who made my day special:

for my parents, who drove from spearville to make sure my day was perfect

for tony, april, john, jaye, and jeff who surprised me with dinner, cake, and presents

for jeff, who continues to be the love of my life and the one who inspires me

for those who kept me in their thoughts, called, and wrote

i am grateful for all of you.

Crabs, Chili, and Christmas Music

This past weekend we were fortunate enough to catch up with some old friends. :)

First, we had a wonderful family dinner with the Schneiders... It's been way too long since the last time I got to see Ica, Adam, and McKenna, not to mention never having met Corbin. And to think they'd never gotten the opportunity to meet Jeff! It was high time to do something about that, so we decided to meet at Joe's Crab Shack. We were not disappointed, as we got a chance to see Ica and Adam (who are SuperParents in my book) in full action as they fed, changed, and chased their children...



On Saturday, we met up with Jeff's friends for Michael and Allison's first party as an engaged couple. Allison started the evening off right by dropping her phone in the chili, and the rest of the night was just as electric. :) We were there until the wee hours of the morning talking about the finer points of life and debating the mysteries of the world. As is with any fine get together in October, Ashley brought out the Christmas music and we each took turns entertaining with shadow puppets to the classics.

Dear friends, Fall has officially begun. We even got a pumpkin. Take care and lots of love.

Great Friends and Good Times

This weekend we ventured to Wichita to watch Jeff Dunham in concert. We met up with Kym and her family at the hotel in park city and spent the afternoon catching up. We then went on the Great Hamburger Bun Hunt of '08 on the way to James and Melissa's for dinner.

Next up was the actual concert. Guitar Guy opened for Jeff Dunham, and his hit "Sarah Palin". His act was excellent, and we couldn't help but laugh at his stories. Jeff Dunham's opening act showed great promise for the upcoming bits. We laughed until we cried at Walter, Achmed, Peanut, Jose Jalepeno (on a stick), and Bubba Joe. It was a (mostly) family friendly adventure into the world of ventriloquism and the lives the characters have created.

We were able to catch up with Craig and his family (they were my neighbors back home). It is always good to see them and catch up. :) After catching up, we found $3 Long Island Ice Teas and spent the rest of the evening enjoying good company.

Overall, it was a great weekend, and I am very grateful to have gotten to see everyone. Our adventures continue... I hope all is well with you and yours. :)



Jeff, Heather, Craig, Kym

Here it is....

The rest of our new furniture arrived (much to the thanks of Uncle John's pick up truck and good, strong back!).

The end table:


and Coffee table:


Just in case the beauty of the surfaces are not clear, they are travertine stone (which looks like marble, but without the high maintenance):

Catching Up is Hard to Do

Greetings all! It has been a while since we have made a post on this here blog. Well we've been pretty busy. Heather has been working at her practicum for four days a week and has been spending the rest of her time either at school or doing school work.

I've been working hard on a project that doesn't seem to have an end. With my free time, I've been helping my mom and Bob at their house, cleaning our house, coordinating delivery of our new furniture, providing tech support to family and friends and sleeping. Okay, I've been mostly sleeping.

The weekend before last, we were at Carrie and Joe Pflumm's house for Jill's birthday. We got to see some of the friends that we haven't seen in a long time. We had a blast.

The next weekend, after braving the wild storms on Friday at Adam and Amanda's house, we woke up early on Saturday to head down to Wichita. Once there, I helped James hang a drywall ceiling in his basement. I also discovered that I am 1) out of shape, 2) older than I think and 3) in dire need of a hobby that doesn't involve computers. I had a lot of fun hanging the ceiling though. Heather spent the day with her parents and had a wonderful time hanging with them.

Monday, we celebrated my mother's birthday. Happy birthday, mom! Heather and I showed her videos of Heather's parents and James, Melissa and the puppies saying "Happy birthday!" We had a wonderful time.

This weekend, I spent some time helping mom in the basement to set up some bookshelves so that she could have a frame for the daybed she is putting in the basement. Heather managed to work two doubles on Saturday and Sunday. I spent most of the rest of the weekend watching movies and cleaning.

Well, that's all for now folks. Pretty boring, huh?

Laters.

Culture of Un-Responsibility

You read that right. Instead of using "irresponsibility" I am choosing to use the term "un-responsibility." "Irresponsible" indicates someone is not qualified for a particular task indicating maturity level, such as feeding a pet or taking care of something on a regular basis.

I am drafting the word "Un-Responsible" into the dictionary. It indicates the refusal to accept responsibility for one's self. The self includes a person's words, behavior, or other actions. Being "un-responsible," to me, is when the excuses, decrees of entitlement, and blame start.

There are a few places where un-responsibility seems to be more apparent than at a grocery store or a workplace (mine, in particular, it seems just because I deal with people who somewhere 'got caught' doing something illegal or dangerous).

Take for instance, my experience in the Wal-Mart parking lot. There was a cigarette wielding pregnant woman carrying another two year old (alias "Awesome Mom") who shoved her cart near Cart-man. Cart-man chased Awesome Mom's cart in order to prevent it from damaging surrounding cars, while the companion (alias "Baby Daddy") began backing the car out. Baby Daddy hit Cart-man hard enough to knock him down, then began screaming at cart-man for not moving out of the way fast enough. Cart-man, at this point, was crab-crawling as fast as he could away from the car. Awesome Mom was enraged at the hold up and added her own two cents about Cart-man slowing down their leaving processes (nevermind they had just hit him with their car because of her refusing to return the cart in the proper place!).

I have found this culture is not only limited to my cohort group or the current youth. I have bruises on my legs from grocery carts shoved into me by the quaintest and cutest little old ladies at the store who told me I should have heard them wheeling up and moved (?!?!). And what about the parent that told me it was not her fault she shook her baby... after all, she had a bad childhood. And there's the child who tells me it was not his fault he smeared poop all over the walls after going to the bathroom... I upset him. And what about the people who flip me off and honk and scream until the veins pop out in their foreheads during my morning commute... after all, I am going the speed limit and driving cautiously.

Let's not forget one of the beginning moments of this attitude (I think the wisest of you may know where I am going with this): A woman recieves a cup of coffee she is warned is hot. She then places the coffee between her legs and continues to drive a car. After receiving burns she decided to sue McDonald's for their irresponsibility. Now, while this may have been a turning point in un-responsibility, what few people know is that in the 80's there was a law passed by the leaders of this great nation saying that any liquid passing through a window must be placed in a bag first. A bag. A lack of bag and an obscure law is what allowed this woman to place blame on someone else for her idiotic actions.

It absolutely baffles and astounds me. When did we shift from a society of overcoming obstacles and circumstance to whining victims who refuse to take responsibility for themselves and willingly remain victims??? If someone figures it out, please let me know... I'm beginning to lose hope quickly of where it turned and if we can reverse it...

And the winner is...

The first of our new furniture arrived over the weekend... we are expecting 2 more pieces. It was a hard and vicious battle, but we were able to get them assembled and arranged in that 'oh so perfect' way. I have to keep doing double takes... It almost looks like adults live here!

The Never Ending Search

Sure, it seems like a great idea at the time, but I am here to assure you that not all garage sale "deals" are indeed deals. For instance, the "complete" $10 desk/computer/chair/laptop set may seem complete, but how much 'bang for your buck' can someone really give you before you've been taken advantage of?

Case in point: Some of our furniture is breaking. We are in desperate need of a new coffee table and end tables (a $5 deal for all three, by the way). So far, after visiting five furniture stores and dozens of online blowouts, we are still left with wobbly table legs and the equivalent of a 6 year old's first hammer, nails, and wood experience.

There have, of course, been several front runners. There is the beautiful wooden masterpiece that did not stand up to the test of the wobbles (simulating an earthquake in the middle of Nebraska Furniture Mart is really not as hard as it sounds), the gorgeous dark wood ensamble that we could not lift, and the ivory beauty that dared us not to whisper her name. In all, we have been faced with a few difficult decisions and some that have not been so hard.

One of the things complicating our decisions is the layout. The ways in which the stores display the furniture has been troublesome. You see, every furniture store so far has had their living room display set up like a... well, living room. The coffee table is found in front of the sofa with a chair and endtable to the side. The stores are myriads of miniature living rooms, one after another, as far as the eye can see. This is great for shoppers looking to visualize complimentary pieces or for those looking to fill/replace entire areas of furniture. This is a horrible idea for shoppers looking for one or two specific pieces of furniture.

Imagine the hours spent weaving in and out of the mock living rooms, competing with each of the shoppers to find the elusive "perfect" set. The problem of finding more than one piece that you like at opposite ends of the store is complicated by having to walk by at least 90 other pieces, causing you to forget what and why you were comparing in the first place. This has been our last week.

There have been a few bright spots in what seems like our never ending search. We have become very efficient at simulating natural disasters, dismantling several pieces of furniture in under a minute, and are now able to navigate hundreds of fake living room sets without losing our point of reference. Oh, and our directions have expanded to include descriptors of "the one over there with the thing I like" with both of us understanding and able to react accordingly.

Needless to say, the moral of the story is if you go furniture shopping, take a camera for comparison purposes and even though garage sales may seem like the best place to fill your every furniture need, they may not be the best decision in the long run.

Brand New!!!

Meet the newest addition to our family!!! :)

Fast Cars and Sushi

Wow! Here we are with the first weekend in two months were we didn't travel out of town and/or have a wedding which required our participation. We celebrated a little by going out with our friends Carrie and Joe to I-70 Speedway for some good, old-fashioned dirt-track racing on Friday.

We also saw many things while we were there that we hadn't seen for a long time. You know like mullets, Coors, and cars that go real fast on dirt (and are actually built for that purpose!). We had a wonderful time watching the race, especially the last heat. There was a wreck on turn four of the first lap that took out half of the field. Horrible for the drivers. Fun for us to watch. After the wreck cleared, we watched some of the best racing I've seen recently.

The sushi comes in on Saturday when we met Heather's friend Aimee and her husband John for dinner at Sakura, a Japanese steak house and sushi bar. The really unique thing about Sakura is that they serve their sushi on a train that goes around an island in the middle of the restaurant. The chefs prepare the sushi right in front of you and then place it on the train. It's a unique dining experience.

On Sunday, we went down to meet Heather's mom before Heather's softball game. After pounding the opposing team into submission, Heather's mom came to stay at our apartment for the first half of the week. We were sad to see her leave, but know the next time she comes she will be bringing Heather's dad with her.

Hope all is well with you and yours.

Congrats!

This last weekend we went down to Spearville, which is my hometown. It's a very small town located in southwest Kansas. We made the 6 hour drive Thursday night after Jeff got off work, and after stopping to get out and walk a few times, finally got home between 130 and 2.

Our original reason of the journey was to attend the wedding of 2 high school sweethearts I went to school with, but because we were a day early we decided to take in the other sites of Dodge. This particular weekend was the kick off of Dodge City Days, which is an Old West themed city festival. While the rest of the city was at the kick off concert and rodeo, we went to see the Boot Hill museum, gun fight re-enactment, and Miss Kitty's Variety show with my Mom, brother, and niece. Talk about an interesting evening! After the shows, we went to a friend's house and caught up on life.

The next day's agenda included Megan and Justin's wedding. The festivities started around 230 with the wedding, and continued into the wee hours of the morning. We left exhausted at around midnight. I had forgotten how much the community comes together to celebrate the newly wedded couple.

Sunday included our goodbyes and LONG drive home. It was wonderful to see everyone again, and even better to hear about where their journeys have taken them.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Megan and Justin (and all the newly wedded couples), and shamelessly plug Dodge City and Boot Hill (a wonderful journey into the Old West, complete with live gun fights between the Marshals of Dodge and cowboys looking for trouble, followed by Miss Kitty and her famous Can-Can Dancers).

God bless. :)

Everyone in Oklahoma is pregnant

Ok, so probably not really, but we were amazed by the massive amount of 12-60 year old women sporting a baby belly last weekend.

This last weekend we went to Oklahoma City. We met up with members of Jeff's family for a tour of the town, hit up the National Cowboy Museum, Kid Rock's club, walked Bricktown, and saw the OK City bombing memorial. We also surprised Jeff's Aunt Patty with a surprise party for her retirement from teaching... it was a very nice and classy party (good job putting it together Cassie and Laura!!!).

Our favorite part had to be walking around and acting like tourists. We were able to see all the wonderful sights of Oklahoma City (and stop to enjoy them). It was great spending time with Jeff's family, and even more wonderful seeing the beautiful people they have grown into.

Needless to say, we had a great time and enjoyed our time in Oklahoma. Seriously, though, I need to see some evidence before I believe that everyone in Oklahoma is NOT pregnant.

Hope all is well with you and yours. :)

Commenting

Taken directly from another blog:

I appreciate everyone's comments on the blog and I've heard some people say they weren't sure how to do it without signing up for blogger. Here's what you do: click on the "comments" at the bottom of the post. Type your comment and enter in the verification letters. Then under the "choose your identity" click on "name/URL". You can enter your name and leave the URL blank. Hope that helps.

:)

Cheers to 2 years

For those of you who don't know, yesterday we celebrated the 2 year anniversary of our first date.

Our first date comprised of eating dinner at J Alexanders and hitting golf balls. Because we showed up just as the driving range was closing, Jeff had to convince the owners to stay open for a young couple beginning their journey into love (I believe those were the exact words he used). He also sweet talked the same people into letting us use clubs they had found trashed and forgotten by another customer because we didn't have any clubs with us. We spent hours hitting balls, talking about our goals for the future, little details of our lives, telling stories, and pondering the universe.

This year for our anniversary, we went to hit golf balls at a driving range, ponder the universe, and reminisce on the past 2 years. I was able to procure free lessons for us from the owner of the club by using my patented softball batter's swing with a slight scoop at the end to catch the golf ball. The owner was so...um, impressed with my skill he stopped what he was doing and gave us free lessons right then and there.

After our wonderful golf lesson (that somehow changed my swing dramatically and without cause) we returned home to barbecue on our comically small grill and enjoy each other's company. We toasted to the past 2 years and the many to follow with champagne, which put me to sleep a short 20 minutes later.

We want to thank everyone who has supported us in these past 2 years. It wouldn't have been as much fun without you. :)

Ice Breaker

Here I am, breaking the ice with our very first blog. The intent of this site is to update weekly regarding our (not) very exciting lives! :)

I survived summer classes and am now trying to find a temporary job that will pay well enough to cover rent and bills until my next round of student loans kick in. There have been a few nibbles, but our summer travel plans (and massive amounts of weddings to be in/attend) have really put a damper in my availability.

As I managed to paint the walls red with enchilada sauce and catch my favorite Christmas gift on fire (separate incidents, all accidental) the week before the 4th, we decided to keep our celebration low-key and NOT tempt fate with firecrackers. We cooked out in our comically small grill in the parking lot and then spread a blanket in the complex's front yard to watch fireworks over the lake across the street. It was a fantastic day.

To all readers: I hope you had an excellent 4th of July and will write at you later. :)