tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37917964886038079222024-03-18T20:40:51.123-07:00A Fresh StartAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-72348188768019246302013-02-19T11:53:00.001-08:002013-02-19T11:53:09.882-08:00Dillon's birth storyI've wanted to write about my boys' birth stories for a few years now and just have not had the time! Since they are getting older I am making time this year before I forget all the details, even though I remember those days like they were yesterday! I had originally planned to have these posted on their birthdays this year, but I am already a couple days late for Dillon....oops! So here it goes...<br />
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On February 15th, 2007, my mom, Jon, Ty, and I were walking into Michaels in Valpo and as we were walking through the parking lot towards the store I felt like I was having a contraction. My due date was February 7th so since I was late I was expecting to go anytime. I asked my mom what time it was and she said "5:00 why?" "Just wondering", I said. We went into the store and while we were back by the unfinished wooden items I had another one. So I asked my mom again what time it was. She said, "5:20 why?" and gave me a concerned look. Again I said, "just wondering". <br />
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Our next stop was McDonald's since my picky 2 year old would rarely eat anywhere else! I savored my meal knowing that this was probably my last time eating out for a few weeks and my last time with just one child to worry about. I'm pretty sure while we were there my mom figured out that I was having contractions. Since my labor with Ty had lasted 31 1/2 hours I wasn't too concerned about getting home right away so I convinced her that I was fine and wanted to go to Walmart like we had originally planned. <br />
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I have never seen my mom walk through Walmart so fast! Her and my brother seemed to be rushing around trying to grab everything on the list. I kept assuring them that I was fine and to take their time. I would rather be walking around a store than pacing at home waiting for labor to progress. My contractions were still 15-20 minutes apart and I figured I still had quite awhile before I needed to be home. I couldn't convince them to stay any longer and even while checking out my mom was frantically putting her bags into her cart while telling the cashier that I was in labor. The cashier just looked at me and I don't know if she thought I was just crazy for being there while in labor or if she thought I was faking it. <br />
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When we got home, I can't remember if Ty had fallen asleep on the drive home or if I put him to bed shortly after getting there. Anyway, I called Alberta, the lady I work through, to tell her that I was possibly in labor and might not be able to work that weekend. I told her I would call her Friday morning and let her know. About 9:00 or 10:00 that night the contractions were still 15-20 minutes apart and I was just lounging around on the couch doing sodoku puzzles while writing down the time of each contraction. I finally told my mom that I was going to try and get some sleep so I went upstairs to lay down. By midnight I still had not fallen asleep and the contractions were getting stronger and around 10 minutes apart. I went back downstairs with my sodoku puzzle book and the paper to time my contractions. They quickly became stronger and faster and were getting closer to 7-8 minutes apart and we decided it was time to call the midwife. <br />
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I called Lynda and she said she would be there soon along with the midwife in training Cindy to help assist with the birth. We woke my stepdad, Jack, up around 2:00 a.m. and told him it was time so that he could go upstairs to sleep in my room since his bedroom was the only one downstairs next to the bathroom (since I wouldn't be able to walk up and down stairs for a couple days I knew I would have to have the baby downstairs since there was no bathroom upstairs). While waiting on the midwives to get there my mom and I brought in all the baby stuff into the bedroom, diapers, clothes, and all the supplies for the birth. I had a blue gown and a pink gown ready since I had no idea what sex the baby was. By the time the midwives got there the contractions were just 4-5 minutes apart and really strong. They quickly got the bed set up and all their supplies out and ready. I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom so Cindy helped me into the bathroom but I couldn't sit down! Every time I started to sit down I just remember saying "Oh pressure, pressure, pressure". Cindy helped me back into the bed. By this point the contractions were coming and going so quickly I didn't even really have to time them! Lynda checked and said I was ready to push. I couldn't believe it and I started to panic saying that I couldn't do it. I had felt so prepared especially since I had done it before until it was time to push. That's when it hit me that I was doing it alone, not just birth, but that I was about to become a single mother of two kids! Cindy did an amazing job at calming me down and reassuring me that I could do it! Everyone took their positions, me in bed, Cindy by my side, Lynda at the foot of the bed, and my mom standing behind Lynda holding the flashlight. <br />
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I don't remember exactly how many pushes it took but it didn't seem very long. And out HE came at 4:37 a.m. He was immediately laid on my chest and I just broke out in happy tears. There are no words to describe the moment when you first see your child, no words at all, but any parent out there knows what I'm talking about. And in that moment any fear or doubt I had about doing it on my own vanished. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZs3u6Y-Q9CY7X5UsYee-fpH7X1-_hjyn0mmTpBUn_yuL1S4sm1ZabASWuQFyF8u0ud10meLYYb8wWBInEecwieg60omxcsCExmidZKiiObEtGIfB8f_awgJLn2tgVzOxXzg9u9LBLcb8/s1600/100_0323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZs3u6Y-Q9CY7X5UsYee-fpH7X1-_hjyn0mmTpBUn_yuL1S4sm1ZabASWuQFyF8u0ud10meLYYb8wWBInEecwieg60omxcsCExmidZKiiObEtGIfB8f_awgJLn2tgVzOxXzg9u9LBLcb8/s1600/100_0323.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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My mom had the honor of cutting the cord. Shortly after I went to shower while Lynda did the APGAR scoring, all the measurements, and weighed him. He weighed 10 pounds 10 ounces and was 23 1/4 inches long!! That definitely explains the constant, sometimes painful pressure I had for the whole month prior to delivery. So after 11 1/2 hours of labor Dillon Paul had arrived while his big brother Ty was sleeping upstairs. I don't remember much about the following few days, but I know we had several visitors and lots of trying to sleep. Dillon was definitely a cuddle bug (and still is in fact!) and for the first few weeks/months he would only sleep if I was holding him and as soon as I would lay him down he would wake up, but I enjoyed every minute of it!! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xOebiEtu871K5SZmXLfgPu1KpQ4NHT7lwFi2yDXaOnm1q5dZThx-wZVXZFpnAno4rMy2YiW_SanrGqYG-YV5tyTG4fwH5JPNovTivOv2kpG3R6-Jyc-ein1D7sQa-DOL8bglCvRhNvs/s1600/100_0332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xOebiEtu871K5SZmXLfgPu1KpQ4NHT7lwFi2yDXaOnm1q5dZThx-wZVXZFpnAno4rMy2YiW_SanrGqYG-YV5tyTG4fwH5JPNovTivOv2kpG3R6-Jyc-ein1D7sQa-DOL8bglCvRhNvs/s1600/100_0332.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a> R.I.P. LyndaAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-402529649761710052011-08-10T11:46:00.001-07:002011-08-10T11:55:19.187-07:00Wedding Wednesday -"The little things"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVEDi7JQ5hHbWAWSMywztOZidlFCfNJnCUZ7SFVBqP85R0s-AQY2uq4NusK6hvosVYffZYylDU4YIpFVbM2o76iynxJsX32PfxIt_w11Ywuuj7ZxPahYmk8MUFvS9lIdYvHdUbDDiLSBQ/s1600/random.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 103px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639300852648976498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVEDi7JQ5hHbWAWSMywztOZidlFCfNJnCUZ7SFVBqP85R0s-AQY2uq4NusK6hvosVYffZYylDU4YIpFVbM2o76iynxJsX32PfxIt_w11Ywuuj7ZxPahYmk8MUFvS9lIdYvHdUbDDiLSBQ/s400/random.jpg" /></a>
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<br /><div>This week has been about all the little details! We decided on the shirt color for tuxes and I ordered some shoes and cannot wait until they come in! I hope they work :) I have started working on the centerpieces which I think I found the type of branches that will work and I think they are going to look fabulous! Starting to think about programs and other small details that you don't really think about at first. I need to finish getting stuff for the candy buffet and I am still trying to find a place to buy/rent tableclothes (suggestions please!?!) Also been busy getting the invitations ready to mail out, just need to make a map and finish addressing them. I'm getting super excited! Only 59 days to do!!</div>
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-925619679446491242011-08-05T08:00:00.001-07:002011-08-05T08:04:54.259-07:00Photo Friday - "Enormous"This week the theme was "Enormous".<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBABaRw8MPbFULQewWZJfxQ_PfnWidykb1qnDm5RpfNTJDU2dwMksCaf8WlzbcwmhMnL35vYU6xISiwI-qIpx7kmxddyKSLZ_w0RwDhIiKVF_OAe4Ye-LWo8hquJEjB6AP2UUlyiHTKRU/s1600/IMG_0707.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637387635277203106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBABaRw8MPbFULQewWZJfxQ_PfnWidykb1qnDm5RpfNTJDU2dwMksCaf8WlzbcwmhMnL35vYU6xISiwI-qIpx7kmxddyKSLZ_w0RwDhIiKVF_OAe4Ye-LWo8hquJEjB6AP2UUlyiHTKRU/s400/IMG_0707.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>Next week's theme - "Spot"</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-23109379819854862392011-08-03T09:18:00.000-07:002011-08-03T09:29:47.824-07:00Wedding Wednesday - "Shower, tuxes and shoes!"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHx9ceLE6KvU6SwtLtlc3IWqGdxzy93khim7ABO7jm_HzFB27P3c-CaTjbN6l7rb32rwdEDavWrXqeSJ4uRc7HyRxVzOaPaqI2yg0Wlm2wNrFnQa3nkm4qkQoveRT_TBnsNYpOEqtJgrE/s1600/homepage.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636667397072121842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHx9ceLE6KvU6SwtLtlc3IWqGdxzy93khim7ABO7jm_HzFB27P3c-CaTjbN6l7rb32rwdEDavWrXqeSJ4uRc7HyRxVzOaPaqI2yg0Wlm2wNrFnQa3nkm4qkQoveRT_TBnsNYpOEqtJgrE/s400/homepage.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Once again this week has been pretty busy with wedding madness! We went to Men's Warehouse and picked out the tuxes. Once we left though we started debating on the shirt color. We chose ivory while we were there because my dress is "ivory" but the ivory color of their shirts and Andrew's vest seems a whole lot darker than my dress actually is. I think we would prefer white so we might have to call and make that change. </div><br /><br /><div>We ordered all nine pairs of shoes for the guys in the wedding which are Converse hightops. While trying to find somewhere that had the sizes we needed I stumbled upon a pair of zebra print sparkly converse! So now I'm debating about whether I should buy a pair of those for myself so that I kind of match the boys or if I should stick with my original plan of wearing my leopard pony fur Kenneth Cole flats!?! Decisions, decisions....</div><br /><br /><div>We helped my mom address all of the shower invites and I can't believe it's only a few weeks away! </div><br /><br /><div>Next week we have got to get the invitations in the mail!! We should also make our final decision on tux shirt color and let Men's Warehouse know so that the guys can all go get fitted. I also really need to find somewhere to buy tableclothes! If anyone knows anywhere good and affordable let me know PLEASE!! I also need to start working on the centerpieces!</div><br /><br /><div>Wow only 66 days to do!</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-83999357343344502822011-07-29T08:59:00.000-07:002011-08-01T14:38:36.361-07:00You Capture - "Fruit"This week the theme was "fruit".<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I planted some grape vines two summers ago and they have been growing like crazy! I was super excited when I saw the first signs of grapes this week!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxG2HIQuQyS4FlVSsBdlKZTsxeoRY-T0zkXr8kHRjBFETJA81v0yh4y0sUV3hCLK6kKBkhrdOOmeFqiZH2Jb0Jy3lE3WVZuBApz0iJOjYhKvM9g5YxAlss6xb-_cM5iQeqZN-4ohMAl0s/s1600/fruitblog.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 288px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635655668258515170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxG2HIQuQyS4FlVSsBdlKZTsxeoRY-T0zkXr8kHRjBFETJA81v0yh4y0sUV3hCLK6kKBkhrdOOmeFqiZH2Jb0Jy3lE3WVZuBApz0iJOjYhKvM9g5YxAlss6xb-_cM5iQeqZN-4ohMAl0s/s400/fruitblog.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div>Next week - "White"</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-51079411329604208792011-07-26T12:21:00.000-07:002011-07-29T08:54:39.086-07:00Photo Friday - "Vertical"This week's challenge is "vertical".<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkFHdezv_3J_9w0dw1NK4thmejeuo9fRHXgBjGtCIfHjhVBFUYX2IHy_T7d0CRLybzdrTWE8DsoZ4XE3FQqMSP49UhBBlGPoEfmH7phsEXVW49UmIKeKLSpZyKdzJYlsamFdv-4FQThQ/s1600/IMG_0695.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634151049900249826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkFHdezv_3J_9w0dw1NK4thmejeuo9fRHXgBjGtCIfHjhVBFUYX2IHy_T7d0CRLybzdrTWE8DsoZ4XE3FQqMSP49UhBBlGPoEfmH7phsEXVW49UmIKeKLSpZyKdzJYlsamFdv-4FQThQ/s400/IMG_0695.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div>Next week - "Enormous"</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-74616453417183308222011-07-26T10:02:00.000-07:002011-07-27T08:53:07.443-07:00Wedding website - Dresses, flowers, and registries<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilc9RiL3FpC2bs2I6d7lbCpycvouUuHiGWmYzPblBVUU6zj3s8TuWm4qJavsmXRBMZATQqGbI7J2pl_iET0-VxksIib2075C-zEUlHrltl2uPw4MzJkxpoB1jO5GOYxMDZrftNXQyWdMQ/s1600/barn.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633742587944592386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilc9RiL3FpC2bs2I6d7lbCpycvouUuHiGWmYzPblBVUU6zj3s8TuWm4qJavsmXRBMZATQqGbI7J2pl_iET0-VxksIib2075C-zEUlHrltl2uPw4MzJkxpoB1jO5GOYxMDZrftNXQyWdMQ/s320/barn.jpg" /></a> We have been very productive this past week! This past Sunday four out of the five bridesmaids, my future mother in law and I met at David's Bridal and picked out an amazing dress! I still cannot believe that all the girls liked the same dress and the dress looked great on all of them!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Monday Andrew and I went to the florist to make our final decisions on all the bouquets and such. We are using orange calla lillies, orange spray roses, orange austria (sp?), some rusty colored mums and yellow fillers. I am super excited and I know they will look great!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>We finished up registering everywhere we wanted to and I'm glad that is over! Next week we will addressing invitations, planning the rehearsal dinner and figuring out where to get tuxes from. Only 73 days to go!</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-76910241879491388112011-07-24T22:01:00.000-07:002011-07-26T12:27:25.020-07:00You Capture - Trees. Beautiful plants. Little cute babiesSo I found a new blog that has a "You Capture" photography challenge every week. One of the rules is that you have to post a picture that you have taken during the week specifically for the challenge and not just browse through your old photos to find one that fits the theme (which I have been guilty of doing with the photo friday challenge I have been doing!) So I figured I would try this so that I can play around with all the different settings and such on my new camera and learn everything I can about it! This week's challenge was trees, beautiful plants and or little cute babies. This challenge was fairly easy for me since I tend to take lots of photos of flowers and have taking tons already this week! Here are my two favorites...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzSXOxbEW7OCU162oU33Puq9OXvHHsdrCruI7UUA3wjO6PKKxGq7mU5zJD_f4xJYGYZPhgngdvDUqz1sAGM8NgZvHcTc5VXQOuglMBJ22QZwFlpoAEpvx70zcB1LjksY-1Je258QM5TE/s1600/IMG_0688.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633153947427643234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzSXOxbEW7OCU162oU33Puq9OXvHHsdrCruI7UUA3wjO6PKKxGq7mU5zJD_f4xJYGYZPhgngdvDUqz1sAGM8NgZvHcTc5VXQOuglMBJ22QZwFlpoAEpvx70zcB1LjksY-1Je258QM5TE/s320/IMG_0688.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUahat99qInQPzoBuKnvSbsglYRcBXvWSzO25WoP59EfLGtZJH-VzY6-F9KZkw7FA-uzWYS9jL7kHvL1Y0LCRmQEvPNgkuC3FeozmSlmGw3fYlZJNz59CJ4X7CCmZ_2NhVE3fNky-PqI/s1600/IMG_0677.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633153938633383234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUahat99qInQPzoBuKnvSbsglYRcBXvWSzO25WoP59EfLGtZJH-VzY6-F9KZkw7FA-uzWYS9jL7kHvL1Y0LCRmQEvPNgkuC3FeozmSlmGw3fYlZJNz59CJ4X7CCmZ_2NhVE3fNky-PqI/s320/IMG_0677.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Next week the challenge is "fruit"</div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-28401807955020838322011-07-20T13:27:00.000-07:002011-07-22T07:52:11.504-07:00Photo Friday - "Seashore"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4ARzLOSatlK04j3xGL1SHG-y963eJ-aws64jZxg-WGExF5ef8dHU-24eagsJHhg7Foz5zwf579jTfczOUhrC6SxcZ_QBYi6gSNWRHB-wvdNetgcJisq2TjGEL68XkrRMuC5IHBa_K0g/s1600/IMG_0601.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631535361651869170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4ARzLOSatlK04j3xGL1SHG-y963eJ-aws64jZxg-WGExF5ef8dHU-24eagsJHhg7Foz5zwf579jTfczOUhrC6SxcZ_QBYi6gSNWRHB-wvdNetgcJisq2TjGEL68XkrRMuC5IHBa_K0g/s320/IMG_0601.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br />I missed last week's challenge because we were busy with Brandon and Mandy's wedding! This week's challenge is Seashore. As I was looking through my pictures trying to decide which photo to pick I kept going back to this one. All the other pictures of sand, water, boats, buckets, and the Chicago skyline were nice but when I think of the seashore this is what comes to mind. These ugly little birds that like to swoop down and steal your food!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Next week's challenge - "Vertical"Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-34228598746331860342011-07-19T12:47:00.000-07:002011-07-20T08:35:13.013-07:00Wedding Wednesday - Bridesmaids & flowers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVR6tytmjeI7wpg7OQkMM0qQAO3MScswqyCMgwnoaMOPKAJQSlaa0wCfFeb5S7fLEvhuY6inGdckxncGQcb55vcGjcTdf1P2zjpRC8aVNx00rdLDsWdgmtH9CcwX58plwCxn1owW74EGo/s1600/random.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 82px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631156070938533378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVR6tytmjeI7wpg7OQkMM0qQAO3MScswqyCMgwnoaMOPKAJQSlaa0wCfFeb5S7fLEvhuY6inGdckxncGQcb55vcGjcTdf1P2zjpRC8aVNx00rdLDsWdgmtH9CcwX58plwCxn1owW74EGo/s320/random.jpg" /></a> I haven't done much planning this past week because we were busy with Brandon and Mandy's wedding, which turned out great! It was a beautiful wedding and the only complaint is that is was HOT but not much you can do about that!<br /><br /><br /><div>The biggest thing that has happened this week is that we added a bridesmaid, Andrew's sister Nicole and I am very excited about this! I wasn't sure if she would be able to do it because both of her girls are the flower girls and she is also making our cake so I didn't want her to feel too overwhelmed but I feel honored that she has agreed to be a bridesmaid as well! This means we needed to add a groomsman too. Andrew was having trouble picking his best man so this made that easier for him too because he decided to have Ty be his best man :) We have an appointment to find the bridesmaid dresses this coming Sunday and I can't wait!</div><br /><br /><div>I called the florist yesterday to tell them that we needed to add another bridesmaid bouquet and set up another appointment to meet with her next Monday to finalize some of the choices. </div><br /><br /><div>Our invitations are supposed to arrive today! I am getting so excited and cannot believe there is only 80 days left until I marry my best friend! </div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-16577209428119335412011-07-11T20:34:00.000-07:002011-07-13T08:47:46.797-07:00Wedding Wednesday - Invites, music and more...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27YCyP3yl-IgeHcv6UUV43FMdbqGCV26WaQoUVpDrtOKJpW2Pzohyphenhyphenl7itlA2_1NmA6KSnLVrlhQ4DoShHeP9gdj2WHy5JW7fJ95UBmBCihiE-kvUX80Ezac0zs-NBdoEytP-WeJVQW84/s1600/homepage.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 190px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628307201642017394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27YCyP3yl-IgeHcv6UUV43FMdbqGCV26WaQoUVpDrtOKJpW2Pzohyphenhyphenl7itlA2_1NmA6KSnLVrlhQ4DoShHeP9gdj2WHy5JW7fJ95UBmBCihiE-kvUX80Ezac0zs-NBdoEytP-WeJVQW84/s320/homepage.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>We have finally been getting on the ball with all of the wedding planning! My mom and I spent 2 hours in Hobby Lobby Monday picking out different flowers, cardstock, ribbons, you name it for centerpieces, cardbox, table decorations, etc. We have found our wedding officiant, Pastor Richard Holtz from my mom's church. We have (hopefully) finalized the guest list. We picked out our invitations Monday night and have everything set to place the order for those on payday ;) We have met with the florist and are just waiting on a quote. I have an appointment set up in a little over a week to go pick out bridesmaids dresses. I am most excited about the musician that has agreed to play at the ceremony! He is an old friend from high school, Evan Grubbs and is so talented! For one or two of the songs one of my best friends, Cassie Letson, has agreed to sing along with Evan. These two are both amazing and I cannot wait to hear them sing together! I can't believe everything that we have gotten done in the past month! It's getting so close :)</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-2443405973665911552011-07-08T13:41:00.000-07:002011-07-08T13:50:35.724-07:00Photo Friday - "Sharp Focus"This past week the challenge was sharp focus. Again this is an old photo since I didn't have too much time to play around with the new camera :( <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9chdVo9tiMaE8iMCx9BJT-2HCfuRvPk-K-SODOpoNLVy5YCjzxiwKjA3DLaL2U11d8GjLRx0rN4X2_fMA8CoZVQtV0c81NLL6acjdODuzGCnxGj3RuC6J8d46iaQzK2XazjvM-PzvDc/s1600/n1199913604_30126809_1403.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627086347871281282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9chdVo9tiMaE8iMCx9BJT-2HCfuRvPk-K-SODOpoNLVy5YCjzxiwKjA3DLaL2U11d8GjLRx0rN4X2_fMA8CoZVQtV0c81NLL6acjdODuzGCnxGj3RuC6J8d46iaQzK2XazjvM-PzvDc/s320/n1199913604_30126809_1403.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div></div>Next week "Gloomy"<br /><br /><br /><div></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-70313591092822208392011-07-01T07:47:00.000-07:002011-07-01T08:06:06.227-07:00Photo Friday - "Wilderness"Since I've bought a new camera (one that I have dreamed of for years!) and need to get this blog going again I decided to do a weekly photo post. I found a website, photofriday.com, that gives you a different challenge every week. This past week's challenge was "Wilderness". Although this picture is a few years old I still love all the color in it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfShib7ETZcDMYWwS3sFcFR1qCjLXDMyre8iewi0MEV-CPljsJJgiZyqLs_GQopb0PGI9lvmLK_P84g_sKJVpXhrR-CdAZb_Cv62Id0whms3qfap2pvQq9qTr1UEbhpscu0joZ1xNjQA/s1600/n1199913604_30169835_2389.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624399520314470626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfShib7ETZcDMYWwS3sFcFR1qCjLXDMyre8iewi0MEV-CPljsJJgiZyqLs_GQopb0PGI9lvmLK_P84g_sKJVpXhrR-CdAZb_Cv62Id0whms3qfap2pvQq9qTr1UEbhpscu0joZ1xNjQA/s320/n1199913604_30169835_2389.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>Next week's challenge "Sharp Focus".</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-58299089371296835702011-05-19T09:39:00.000-07:002011-05-19T09:45:20.118-07:00Wedding websiteI've been bad about keeping up with my blog again, but soon hopefully I will get back into the habit! I have started making our wedding website. So far I've only updated the proposal section but be sure to check it out!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/AmandaStewart&AndrewReeve">www.theknot.com/ourwedding/AmandaStewart&AndrewReeve</a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-29119883632790166642011-01-04T09:23:00.000-08:002011-01-04T09:38:26.524-08:00New year......new startI had been blogging pretty regularly but then I got so busy that I just didn't make any time for it! A lot has happened since I last blogged, I got a second job, went back to college, Ty started kindergarten, Dillon started preschool and I met an amazing man who I will be marrying in October this year! So although I'll still be very busy this year I am still going to make time to blog and I shouldn't have any problems with trying to think of what to blog about. Stay tuned ;)Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-65572929354222995532010-01-11T19:49:00.001-08:002010-01-11T19:58:52.923-08:00Email Monday......try this testI'm trying to get back into writing posts more frequently so here is another email to help clear out my inbox ;)<br /><br />A dog is truly a man's best friend.<br />If you don't believe it, just try this experiment.<br /><br />Put your dog and your wife in the trunk of the car for an hour.<br /><br />When you open the trunk, who is really happy to see you?<br /><br />Haha....i think my next post will be about my amazing dog, Marley!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-67491348634736449462010-01-06T06:35:00.000-08:002010-01-06T06:58:37.649-08:00This Christmas.....I know, I know, this is a little late! I had computer issues a few days before Christmas and then time issues after!<br /><br /><div><div><div><div>This was the first Christmas where I didn't really have any Christmas spirit. Some people have said that it was because i was working retail but i don't really think that was entirely it. Usually i would have gifts wrapped, Christmas cards sent out and dozens of goodies baked weeks before the big day, but this year i wrapped everything a day or two before, i didn't get ANY cards sent out and i only baked one batch of cookies (i didn't even make fudge which is my favorite)! I think one thing that was different this year was the fact that I had to miss 2 different family Christmas's (because of working retail)! And then on Christmas day it didn't even feel like Christmas because every other year since i can remember after the morning rush of opening gifts we would get ready and go to my Grandma's house.....this year she had it a week earlier :( </div><br /><div>The only time I felt the Christmas spirit was first thing Christmas morning. The boys were so excited and Ty passed all the gifts out. Every time Ty would hand Dillon another gift Dillon would shake it next to his ear and then guess what it was. I couldn't quit laughing. He was actually a pretty good guesser or maybe i was just a bad wrapper haha. Anyway here are a few photos from our Christmas!</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqL_S9DV9qs192C1TDo1qTvtRzUKzMliL8NwCwgEb69MbcJtErPncsSfBrpilq7-7E1USNnKBc6FdARe0AdbTxspjCHKuig-HgJ9B6eGY5KaeOUAaBLTSL9sBZ5bAuc8clMHCEajS4vp8/s1600-h/IMG_2939.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423640331465911122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqL_S9DV9qs192C1TDo1qTvtRzUKzMliL8NwCwgEb69MbcJtErPncsSfBrpilq7-7E1USNnKBc6FdARe0AdbTxspjCHKuig-HgJ9B6eGY5KaeOUAaBLTSL9sBZ5bAuc8clMHCEajS4vp8/s200/IMG_2939.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jqlnodL_3j-hlxALWWeEEhlzOQUdVLoy4q0Kldc4llJ4-lovH-38rveGgEXtFPHQLWS5fbp6IJpC3C27j1CkAcaEePTU8B7xTwEiAjJuSI6MQB0FT2tWB36aWIfkDFONTgiECMjZK3E/s1600-h/IMG_2940.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423640342236852322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jqlnodL_3j-hlxALWWeEEhlzOQUdVLoy4q0Kldc4llJ4-lovH-38rveGgEXtFPHQLWS5fbp6IJpC3C27j1CkAcaEePTU8B7xTwEiAjJuSI6MQB0FT2tWB36aWIfkDFONTgiECMjZK3E/s200/IMG_2940.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_FM7TkFla_9Bazvb9qDqChvWPphuWct9ha4U2BRy5qqsrghQyrjqsD8SzLFhOTAmyUNObD3EjzdJITnnBYLeeg0rnWk576U2_c8IDVPxLa8d-fn7USiSIACz2XQ2-oSTaBdNEGGWEi6c/s1600-h/IMG_2953.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423640361729355442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_FM7TkFla_9Bazvb9qDqChvWPphuWct9ha4U2BRy5qqsrghQyrjqsD8SzLFhOTAmyUNObD3EjzdJITnnBYLeeg0rnWk576U2_c8IDVPxLa8d-fn7USiSIACz2XQ2-oSTaBdNEGGWEi6c/s200/IMG_2953.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcC9DVv1Yz-hcpNYS3Pgab9k0DIw0u2YUrCCR6HWxrLs64PWI2KXBoNoGpumbhAVHo27-U9dYfXjwdCDASl3Vry9GdzVv3WZV7AS68LEi811wyMyTzJvDK_Rwoufr2QcclvcndYz3VXuk/s1600-h/IMG_2952.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423640360120323570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcC9DVv1Yz-hcpNYS3Pgab9k0DIw0u2YUrCCR6HWxrLs64PWI2KXBoNoGpumbhAVHo27-U9dYfXjwdCDASl3Vry9GdzVv3WZV7AS68LEi811wyMyTzJvDK_Rwoufr2QcclvcndYz3VXuk/s200/IMG_2952.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEhHFNpKmsItMdWX_u5rFAgzENfA6sBglqqts4XfraRrdw1pQ09YKLmR6XmoNTYcgyw6k1SkAmmOlJOMJzVp92_KM4dKg1ikOJ2QB4nYN7Et5V7HALatgdZGAl5W3F_LwqP5GjJpcOCc/s1600-h/IMG_2943.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423640346148739698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEhHFNpKmsItMdWX_u5rFAgzENfA6sBglqqts4XfraRrdw1pQ09YKLmR6XmoNTYcgyw6k1SkAmmOlJOMJzVp92_KM4dKg1ikOJ2QB4nYN7Et5V7HALatgdZGAl5W3F_LwqP5GjJpcOCc/s200/IMG_2943.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-7417610926751463962009-12-18T11:20:00.000-08:002009-12-18T11:22:42.231-08:00'Twas the night before Christmas......'Twas the night before Christmas & out on the ranch<br /> <br />The pond was froze over & so was the branch.<br /> <br />The snow was piled up belly-deep to a mule.<br /> <br />The kids were all home on vacation from school,<br /> <br />And happier young folks you never did see-<br /> <br />Just all sprawled around a-watchin' TV.<br /> <br />Then suddenly, some time around 8 o'clock,<br /> <br />There came a surprise that gave them a shock!<br /> <br />The power went off, the TV went dead!<br /> <br />When Grandpa came in from out in the shed<br /> <br />With an armload of wood, the house was all dark.<br /> <br />"Just what I expected," they heard him remark.<br /> <br />"Them power line wires must be down from the snow.<br /> <br />Seems sorter like times on the ranch long ago."<br /> <br />"I'll hunt up some candles," said Mom. "With their light,<br /> <br />And the fireplace, I reckon we'll make out all right."<br /> <br />The teen-agers all seemed enveloped in gloom.<br /> <br />Then Grandpa came back from a trip to his room,<br /> <br />Uncased his old fiddle & started to play<br /> <br />That old Christmas song about bells on a sleigh.<br /> <br />Mom started to sing, & 1st thing they knew<br /> <br />Both Pop & the kids were all singing it, too.<br /> <br />They sang Christmas carols, they sang "Holy Night,"<br /> <br />Their eyes all a-shine in the ruddy firelight.<br /> <br />They played some charades Mom recalled from her youth,<br /> <br />And Pop read a passage from God's Book of Truth.<br /> <br />They stayed up till midnight-and, would you believe,<br /> <br />The youngsters agreed 'twas a fine Christmas Eve.<br /> <br />Grandpa rose early, some time before dawn;<br /> <br />And when the kids wakened, the power was on.<br /> <br />"The power company sure got the line repaired quick,"<br /> <br />Said Grandpa - & no one suspected his trick.<br /> <br />Last night, for the sake of some old-fashioned fun,<br /> <br />He had pulled the main switch - the old Son-of-a-Gun!<br /> <br />-anonymousAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-64331971310451320652009-12-18T10:53:00.001-08:002009-12-19T09:53:23.011-08:00Happy listI saw an article about which states were rated the happiest and found it very interesting that Indiana is rated #48! And also that Tennessee is #4 is not surprising....i have always wanted to move there ;)<br /><br />HAPPIEST RANKINGS<br />The state-by-state list (including Washington, D.C.), from happiest to least cheery:<br />1. Louisiana<br /><br />2. Hawaii<br /><br />3. Florida<br /><br />4. Tennessee<br /><br />5. Arizona<br /><br />6. South Carolina<br /><br />7. Mississippi<br /><br />8. Montana<br /><br />9. Alabama<br /><br />10. Maine<br /><br />11. Wyoming<br /><br />12. Alaska<br /><br />13. North Carolina<br /><br />14. South Dakota<br /><br />15. Texas<br /><br />16. Idaho<br /><br />17. Vermont<br /><br />18. Arkansas<br /><br />19. Georgia<br /><br />20. Utah<br /><br />21. Oklahoma<br /><br />22. Delaware<br /><br />23. Colorado<br /><br />24. New Mexico<br /><br />25. North Dakota<br /><br />26. Minnesota<br /><br />27. Virginia<br /><br />28. New Hampshire<br /><br />29. Wisconsin<br /><br />30. Oregon<br /><br />31. Iowa<br /><br />32. Kansas<br /><br />33. Nebraska<br /><br />34. West Virginia<br /><br />35. Kentucky<br /><br />36. Washington<br /><br />37. District of Columbia<br /><br />38. Missouri<br /><br />39. Nevada<br /><br />40. Maryland<br /><br />41. Pennsylvania<br /><br />42. Rhode Island<br /><br />43. Ohio<br /><br />44. Massachusetts<br /><br />45. Illinois<br /><br />46. California<br /><br />47. New Jersey<br /><br />48. Indiana<br /><br />49. Michigan<br /><br />50. Connecticut<br /><br />51. New YorkAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-84647434240018326082009-11-23T13:35:00.000-08:002009-11-23T13:45:22.559-08:00Blue man groupI posted a link of a video from Blue Man Group. I saw them in Chicago several years ago and they were amazing! A friend of mine suggested going to a show a few months back and now I'm really, really wanting to go again! <br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RamNJn9jXk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RamNJn9jXk</a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-13481842544921680022009-11-19T14:10:00.000-08:002009-11-19T14:19:50.662-08:00Nightmare!I had a nightmare last night! Well actually it was this morning right before i woke up which actually made it more terrifying! In my dream I woke up and went to the bathroom just like i do every morning, but in my dream when i looked out the window there was SNOW on the ground....about 2-3 inches, but it was still snowing! AAAAHHHHHH!!!!! <br /><br />I have never really been afraid to drive in the snow/ice until 2 years ago when i hit a patch of black ice and everything i tried doing to stop or move out of the way of oncoming traffic didn't work! It was such a horrible feeling....being completely helpless....the car had a mind of it's own! I was extremely lucky because as my car was heading straight toward a big SUV i started to panic and when i was nose to nose with the SUV i closed my eyes and braced myself for a crash.<br /><br />I could feel my car spinning and when i opened my eyes i was stopped in the middle of the road sitting in the opposite direction. Somehow that big white SUV had missed me. Unfortunately I still had what normally would take me an hour to drive home to get home to my boys. I had to drive in the ice storm at around 30 mph for the next almost 3 hours! Ever since then i've tried to avoid driving in nasty weather, but now i have to suck it up since i have a job that is 30 miles away from home! So now you can understand why this was such a nightmare for me! lolAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-68888916453958533342009-11-16T12:14:00.000-08:002009-11-16T12:27:54.962-08:00Email Monday - Never JudgeTime for the next Email of the day ;)<br /><br />'Some people!' snorted a man standing behind me in the long line at the grocery store. 'You would think the manager would pay attention and open another line, 'said a woman. I looked to the front of the line to see what the hold up was and saw a well dressed, young woman, trying to get the machine to accept her credit card. No matter how many times she swiped it, the machine kept rejecting it. 'It's one of them welfare card things. Damn people need to get a job like everyone else,' said the man standing behind me. The young woman turned around to see who had made the comment. 'It was me,' he said, pointing to himself. The young lady's face began to change expression. Almost in tears, she dropped the welfare card on to the counter and quickly walked out of the store. Everyone in the checkout line watched as she began running to her car. Never looking back, she got in and drove away. After developing cancer in 1977 and having had to use food stamps; I had learned never to judge anyone, without knowing the circumstances of their life. This turned out to be the case today. Several minutes later a young man walked into the store. He went up to the cashier and asked if she had seen the woman. After describing her, the cashier told him that she had run out of the store, got into her car, and drove away. 'Why would she do that?' asked the man. Everyone in the line looked around at the fellow who had made the statement. 'I made a stupid comment about the welfare card she was using. Something I shouldn't have said. I'm sorry,' said the man. 'Well, that's bad, real bad, in fact. Her brother was killed in Afghanistan two years ago. He had three young children and she has taken on that responsibility. She's twenty years old, single, and now has three children to support,' he said in a very firm voice. 'I'm really truly sorry. I didn't know,' he replied, shaking both his hands about. The young man asked, 'Are these paid for?' pointing to the shopping cart full of groceries. 'It wouldn't take her card,' the clerk told him. 'Do you know where she lives?' asked the man who had made the comment. 'Yes, she goes to our church.' 'Excuse me,' he said as he made his way to the front of the line. He pulled out his wallet, took out his credit card and told the cashier, 'Please use my card. PLEASE!' The clerk took his credit card and began to ring up the young woman's groceries. Hold on,' said the gentleman. He walked back to his shopping cart and began loading his own groceries onto the belt to be included. 'Come on people. We got three kids to help raise!' he told everyone in line. Everyone began to place their groceries onto the fast moving belt. A few customers began bagging the food and placing it into separate carts. 'Go back and get two big turkeys,' yelled a heavy set woman, as she looked at the man. 'NO,' yelled the man. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. The entire store became quiet for several seconds. 'Four turkeys,' yelled the man. Everyone began laughing and went back to work. When all was said and done, the man paid a total of $1,646.57 for the groceries. He then walked over to the side, pulled out his check book, and began writing a check using the bags of dog food piled near the front of the store for a writing surface. He turned around and handed the check to the young man. 'She will need a freezer and a few other things as well,' he told the man. The young man looked at the check and said,'This is really very generous of you.' 'No,' said the man. 'Her brother was the generous one.' Everyone in the store had been observing the odd commotion and began to clap. And I drove home that day feeling very American. We live in the Land of the free, because of the Brave!!! Remember our Troops of Yesterday and Today!!! A great example of why we should be kind and patient. Kindness is the language the blind can see and the deaf can hear.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-65350322602864672992009-11-13T12:08:00.000-08:002009-11-13T12:13:20.240-08:00Kids say the darndest thingsTy has said some pretty funny things the last couple of days.......<br /><br />First one:<br /><br />Ty-"Mom listen to these animals sounds, Meow, Moo, Vrroom, Ruff..."<br />Me-"Wait what was the sound after moo?"<br />Ty-"A race car"<br />Me-"A race car isn't an animal!"<br /><br />Next one:<br /><br />Ty-"Dillon is going to be 5 in three years".<br />Me-"How do you know that?"<br />Ty-"Because i'm an expert".<br /><br />And this one he has said to both me and my mom! lol<br /><br />Ty-"Mom when i'm old you're going to be REALLLLY old!"Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-9026373803410068622009-11-12T06:46:00.000-08:002009-11-12T07:29:13.847-08:00Did I miss Thanksgiving?So I was sitting (actually standing) at work last night, bored out of my mind playing Sodoku while waiting for customers and what do i hear? JINGLE BELL ROCK! Seriously?! It's not even Thanksgiving yet! I can understand starting to shop for Christmas but is it really necessary to play Christmas carols so soon? The next song was a normal every day song from the radio but a few minutes later......Oh Come All Ye Faithful and then Carol of the Bells which normally is one of my favorite songs to hear, but not now, not on November 11th! Am I being a scrooge? Maybe. But I love Thanksgiving and I love fall, which i'm sure i mentioned in a previous post, and it's not over yet! What's the rush? Don't get me wrong I LOVE Christmas but I really don't start thinking about it until AFTER Thanksgiving!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791796488603807922.post-58295982459093404862009-11-11T06:37:00.000-08:002009-11-11T06:56:47.793-08:00The Toddler ContractThe following is something I tore out of a magazine awhile back and it still makes me laugh every time i read it......bc so much of it is true! <br /><br />Dear Mom and Dad,<br />Thank you for your interest in remaining my parents. Below is a list of my demands.<br /><br /><strong>I. Food</strong><br />1. For breakfast, there will be only milk from my sippy cup while I'm watching television (see section II).<br />2. From breakfast until what you probably call lunch, I will be provided with an unending supply of cookies. No arguments.<br />3. For lunch I will eat yogurt. Anything containing fruit on the bottom will make me pick out the fruit and throw it on the ground or else throw it up on your carpet. <br /> a. So no fruit on the bottom.<br />4. From lunch until dinner I will enjoy having something to lick. Why not a lollipop? Why not seven?<br /> a. Between licks, I may place the lollipop on your grandmother's Turkish rug. This will be okay by you.<br />5. For dinner I will have macaroni and cheese. Any attempts to give me vegetables in addition to the macaroni and cheese will result in tears.<br /> a. And don't you dare hide anything in the cheese sauce, because, my God, how you will rue the day.<br />6. After dinner, you may provide me with ice cream.<br /> a. No frozen yogurt. Trust me, i know the difference.<br /><br /><strong>II. Television</strong><br />1. The Tv will be on all the time, unless i say differently. You are to sit by my side, quietly, hands folded in lap, while i watch my shows.<br /> a. You may arise to fetch me a snack.<br />2. No diaper changing or pleas to engage in physical activity will be tolerated during watching of television.<br />3. Turning off the television will result in much kicking and screaming.<br /><br /><strong>III. Toys</strong><br />1. There will be many.<br /> a. They will always be strewn about the house so that i may simply reach down and pick up a toy, no matter where i am.<br /> b. They will be loud, complicated, and contain many small pieces. <br /> c. Nothing that results in any type of learning, please.<br /><br /><strong>IV. Friends</strong><br />1. They should be available whenever I'm in the mood to use someone else's toys or ingest someone else's cookies.<br /> a. These friends may not ever so much as look at my toys or cookie supply.<br /> b. Ever, ever, ever.<br /><br /><strong>V. Sleep</strong><br />1. Is when I say, where i say, and how i say. If i want to sleep upside down with my legs locked around your neck, then that's how it will be.<br /> a. And you will enjoy it.<br /><br /><strong>VI. Affection</strong><br />1. Occasionally I enjoy being hugged and kissed. I stress occasionally.<br />2. I will not be pelted with wet-mouthed assaults on an hourly basis. Should you feel the need to hug or kiss, you must provide me with a written request.<br /> a. And then wait for me to offer my pudgy cheeks.<br /><br />Signed: x____________Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761208359791922764noreply@blogger.com0