DLG Memorial Fund Scholarship!!!

Are you or someone you know a Teutopolis High School Senior??? 
Would you or your T-Town friends like a scholarship???
Were you or your T-Town friends a member of 4-H for at least 3 years???

If so, this could be your lucky day!!!

The DLG Memorial Fund is at it again!  They are giving away a $1000 scholarship to a 2009 THS graduate!!!  This scholarship is unique in that it is not based on academic scores.  Simply fill out the application and type up the very short essays. 

Visit the THS guidance office or check it out on the web at the DLG Memorial Fund website for more information.  Applications can be downloaded from the site. 
Don't delay!!!  Deadline for submission is March 31, 2009.   

A Closing Time Question

Tonight Dawn and I went to Pizza Man. 
Before I gripe, I first have to say, "Yumm-O!" 


Let's go back about a month... One Thursday evening Dawn and I went to Pizza Man at about 8:30 p.m.  We were told that they already closed down the salad bar and quit serving.  Hmm... okay... we left, noticing the open hours on the door read that they were open until 10:00 p.m.  We didn't argue with the people, just left. 


Tonight, Dawn and I went to Pizza Man.  We got there at 7:00.  We did not rush.  We talked about just about everything.  Lots and lots to talk about, that's for sure!  At 8:00 the workers started putting up chairs and sweeping.  We asked if they were closing and if we were supposed to leave.  One of the young guys said we were good for probably another hour.  That would only be 9:00... they don't close til 10:00. 


Just minutes after 9:00 lights started to be turned out.  We were still sitting there.  We decided this was our cue to get the heck out of there. 


As we left we checked the sign again.  They are open until 10:00 p.m.  We were confused and to be quite honest pretty ticked off that we were pushed out of there well before closing time.  If any of my readers work at Effingham's Pizza Man, can you explain this closing time confusion to me?  Free coupons to Pizza Man might also help our perception of the situation and future service we could expect.   

Frank and Beans

I got a few recent complaints of no new posts.
Over the weekend, I'd thought of things to blog about... now I can't remember any of them. Ugh. Anyway, here are some updates:

1.) Today Calvin is sick. He had a temperature yesterday afternoon. Inspite of his temp, we took him to Mom's for lasagna night. He wasn't himself. Very sluggish. I took the opportunity to rock my baby Calvin to sleep last night. It won't be long before he won't ever let me. This morning he woke up feeling even worse. He's still in my bed. We've both been in and out of sleep all morning. I hope he gets better soon.

2.) Somebody I know has sore boobs... this is a BIG deal - in a GOOD way! Keep this special, secret intention in your prayers.

3.) This morning while I was zipping up Calvin's pj's after he took off his pull-up, I got part of his balls in the zipper. Yes, I know... you're picturing the Frank and Beans scene from There's Something About Mary. It wasn't that bad. Calvin was not a bleeder. But, there were lots of tears. I apologized profusely. Poor guy!

4.) I have been sick for about a month and a half. Not really sick, just nauseas. No... I'm not pregnant! Although I know someone named Dawn who has a blog that really wishes I were prego! I think the nausea came from doubling my daily meds. It sucks though. Last night at Mom's I couldn't eat. I thought I'd throw up. And it was LASAGNA... one of my favorites! I'll be going to the doc in the next couple weeks to get it all straightened out.

5.) I'm still not sleeping well. It sucks. I have a lot on my mind. More on that coming soon.

6.) Dawn is asking for prayers for her Mother. Please read more at Stronger Than Cancer. Her mother has made a lasting impression on my life. She will always have a special place in my heart. It kills me to watch her battle cancer. Through it all, she has been so strong - even remaining the strong one in the family that always finds the positive. She is a remarkable woman. Please, please, please pray for her. Pray that they find a doctor to do the much needed operation to help her breathe. Pray that someone finds a cure for cancer so that she, and the millions of others, are saved. Pray for her family. Thank-you.

7.) Calvin just yelled (or attempted to) with his sweet raspy voice, "Mom, wanna hop in bed with meeee?" That's what being a mom's all about. :-)

Ashley, I hope this suffices as a new post. :-) Glad you read the blog! YAY! Now that you've admitted that you're stalking me, you can leave comments - as Anonymous. Just put your 1st name at the end of your comment so I know it's you. Looking forward to bowling w/ you guys this weekend!

Pre-K Screening

The much anticipated preschool screening day finally arrived!
Calvin was excited from the second he opened his eyes this morning.
We've been talking about this for weeks.
I had been debating on whether or not to bribe him to play stupid... so he'd have a better chance of getting in. It's not easy to get into our pre-k. I decided to just let him be himself. That he'd win them over with his charm. :-)

We spent the morning getting ready. He insisted on having 'messy hair' (his hair gelled and spiked in the front). He said this made him look big like Caleb. And since the pre-k is at our town's grade school and Caleb goes there... well, this all made sense to Calvin... needed the messy hair. Over the last couple weeks he's told friends and family that he's going to preschool, that he will need help with his homework, and will have basketball games. Ummm... ok... I just played along.

Today as we entered the gymnasium, my precious baby Calvin warped into a preschooler with ideas, opinions, manners, and style. The testing instructor who was oh so very sweet took Calvin off to test while I filled out paperwork. I sat there, watching Calvin from across the gym... wondering how my little boy had grown up into a preschooler so quickly. I succeeded at keeping my emotions in check and my tears inside.

Then, a nice lady sat down next to me. Her adorable daughter was there for the preschool screening, too. We made chit chat while we filled out paperwork. She was older than me and asked who my parents were. After I said Doug Goeckner, she discovered that my dad was in her graduating class. She asked me to tell him hi for her. I tried to muster up the strength not to cry as I told her he had passed away. She said she never put 2 and 2 together when she heard the news of Dad's accident. She could tell I was hurting and apologized repeatedly. She was so sweet and never meant to upset me. Moments later, my cousin Jessica, who is the pre-k teacher, came over to say hi. My eyes were watering... small tears. I tried and tried to compose myself with a fake smile. She could see right through it. She was quick to rescue me by changing the subject and talking about her baby. Thank-you, Jessica!

I love our small little town. Everybody knows everybody. I'm surrounded by a community that genuinely cares. There are however moments like today with the nice lady that knew my Dad... that is tough.

Back to the pre-k screening. Calvin did a stellar job. I watched him sit with different testing personnel as they asked him to do various things. I was so proud of him. When I was called over to review the results, I was shocked to find that he wasn't/isn't perfect. I'm serious. I am that mother that insists her child is perfect. :-) Anyway, he did fairly well in all areas except speech. This was quite the shocker for me because - well, if you know Calvin, you know he talks non stop. Anyway, I was asked if I could understand most of what he says. I do understand him. But, I think most mothers understand what their child says... it's an unwritten language between mothers and their children. A language that even dads have a hard time learning. Anyway, I thought that Calvin talked very well. She said that he has a hard time saying certain letters. That some of these sounds should have already come to him and they'd like to do another screening with a speech pathologist next month. I smiled, nodded, and scheduled the appointment. As I walked away, my cousin Jessica who noticed my concern about needing a speech pathologist, assured me that she has several students that go to the speech pathologist and that it is really no big deal. Whew... that made me feel a lot better!

Afterwards I took Calvin to McDonalds to use the McD $ Grandma Susan and Grandpa Tom gave him for Valentine's Day. :-)

I have no idea when we'll find out if he's accepted into pre-K. I'll be sure to post when I find out.

An Ohhh So Very Hip Planner

Do you use a day planner/organizer?
If you do, you probably know that a really cool one is hard to come by at a price you can swallow.

You might remember that I purchased an adorable planner through Wal-Mart's photo lab that has Calvin's picture on the front. It is adorable. Of course it is... my son is on the cover (I'm more than a little biased ;-) ). Well, the planner itself is not perfect. The spiral bounding does not hold very well. The front and back covers were always falling off. I could see where this was going... around mid-June my planner would be ruined and I'd be left to find another planner 1/2 way through the year and then transfer all appointments to the new planner. It would be a headache. So, I started researching new planners. I wanted something cool, hip, modern, and Mom friendly. It also had to fit in my handbag because I take my planner everywhere. I'm lost without this appointment/time/life/holiday/schedule/homework organizational must have.

I checked out Mom Agenda's pink planner. It's cute. But, I wasn't sure if it had all that I needed and space and let's face it, it's not exactly cheap.

Then I found Truly Mom. I love the pink patent leather one. And it has aaallllll of those awesome note sections. Looks perfect for me! But, the price was far from perfect. I just can't justify the cost right now.

Tonight, at Wal-Mart, I glanced over the planners they had. A few caught my eye, but they weren't perfect - wrong size or wrong color, etc. I'm picky. I found the planner I used 2006 and 2007. It was a good one. Never let me down. But, I didn't want to use the same planner... again... Luckily, this planner can be customized with just a little creativity.

Planner before the makeover (the baby is cute - and you can put in your own picture):

Planner after the makeover
I took out the baby insert from above and replaced it with this:

This picture doesn't do it justice. It really is awesome!
I am learning to really love Photoshop!
And if you're wondering, this planner was like $8.00ish! :-)
Can't beat that!!!

Tuesday's Quote

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
-Eleanor Roosevelt

To actually THINK

I have so much to blog about and no idea where to start. 
I get those "Blogger Moments" where I live my life thinking in terms of blog post terminology... and then later, when I'm infront of the computer - I forget... or it doesn't seem nearly as interesting.  Anyway, here are some things on my mind, now. 

I haven't been sleeping.  This started two weeks ago tomorrow.  I've been like a zombie.  Not sleeping at night... well, that's somewhat normal.  But not being able to take naps... that's definitely not like me!  I love naps!!!  Last night I took a Tylenol PM around 7:45 because I could barely keep my eyes open and yet my mind was racing a million miles a minute.  I made a bed for me and Calvin on the couch and put in one of his favorite movies.  I fell asleep.  He snuggled with me.  :-)  Then, around 4:30 I woke up.  I tossed, turned, peed, and got up twice for a drink.  The Tylenol PM wore off.  Ugh... I should have taken 2 like the bottle recommended.  I finally fell back asleep around 6:00.  But, it was the crappy sleep like I'd been having the other nights... the kind of sleep where it feels more like I'm deep in thought instead of dreaming.  You know what I'm talking about... where you're somewhat asleep but still balancing your check book, working, and planning the next day.  I'm hoping for better sleep tonight. 

I'm taking an Adobe Illustrator class.  You can do some pretty neat things in the program!  Anyway, long story short:  We're each designing a t-shirt for an upcoming computer contest.  Designing the t-shirt is actually a contest, too.  My inner geek decided to type up some pseudocode/flow chart as a "program" for deciding the winner to put on the back of the shirt.  Yes, I am a nerd.  No, I do not have a pocket protector.  Anyway, as I was writing all of the pseudocode out... perfecting every calculation and decision, I realized A: that this was far too much to put on a t-shirt, B: that I am a nerd, C: that I have already forgotten some of the programming logic I learnt last semester.  I was bummed about C.  If my schedule permits, I am taking a programming course next semester.  I really enjoy programming.  Okay, I don't know much code -  just logic - and it excites me!  I like that I have to actually think - that although it somewhat comes naturally to me... that I still have to apply thought and plan out the code to create the desired results from the program.  It feels good to think.  I know this sounds so silly.  It's just that days, weeks, months go by and I am not challenged.  Programming is something that intrigues me, gets me going, makes me feel like I'm getting smarter.  I know... I'm a nerd.  This makes me laugh because a previous instructor called me, "A closet programmer".  I wouldn't go that far.  But, I am eager to write a program.  :-) 

Honest Scrap

One of my FAVORITE blogs to read is Mommy Nightowl.  She's real.  She's interesting.  She's so funny.  I just love reading her blog.  We have become bloggy buddies.  :-)  If she were here in small town, Illinois, I'm sure we'd meet up for hot chocolates with Dawn! 

She passed along a pretty cool Blog Award:  Honest Scrap. 

I'm totally excited to receive this award!  YAY!  Bloggy awards rock!  Especially when they're from a blogger you totally admire! 

The rules for this award are:


1. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.

2. Show the 7 winners' names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing then that they were prized with "Honest Scrap", the nifty icon they can display proudly on their blog.

3. List at least 10 honest things about yourself.

Sending out the Honest Scrap award to: 
1.  Dawn at Must Love Tots.  Not only is she my best friend, but her blog is really funny!  She doesn't sugar coat it... if it's poop... it's poop...  I love it!  :-)  She blogs through the good and the bad. 
2.  Bridget at Always An Adventure.   Bridget and I have been friends for like ever.  We get each other.  I love her.  I love what she does to my hair!  And now, I love reading her blog! 

3.  Wendy at Every Mountain You Climb Are Memories You Treasure.  She is my S-I-L.  She is one of my closest friends.  I love this girl!  I have no idea what I'd do without her!  She is real - and her posts come from the heart. 

4.  Patricia at Ground Control To Major Mom.  I've enjoyed her blog since we found each other during a Grey's Anatomy gay soldier post... anyway, now SHE is deployed.  Her blog is live from the sand box!  Doesn't get much realer that that! 

5.  Carolyn at Leap And The Net Will Appear.  Carolyn and I met when I was stationed in England.  She is awesome.  She introduced me to Burberry - and for that I will always be thankful to her for!  She is blogging through a major life transition into single parenthood.  It is real and I am proud of her. 

6.  Sarah at Sarah B And Family.  I really love this girl!  I read her blog almost daily!  She just did a 26.2 mile marathon in 4:14:04!!!!  Crazyiness!!! 

7.  Kim at Jogging In Circles.  Her blog is awesome!  Not sure how we found each other - but we did.  And I've been glued to her blog ever since then!  I love her posts about NYC.  Seems like a whole different world.  Now, she has her own photography studio!!!  YAY! 

TEN HONEST THINGS ABOUT ME
1.  I am madly in love with my husband.  I know how generic that sounds.  But, it is sooo true. 

2.  I don't know if this is OCD or what... but if I touch something with my right hand, I have to even out the sensation by touching something with my left hand.  This isn't all of the time.  It's weird.  I know it, but I can't help but do it. 

3.  I don't really like people.  That's honest.  I'd much rather talk via internet or text than actually see people.  I get majorly overwhelmed by seeing people somedays.  It's weird. 

4.  Shopping is my favorite sport.  I love to shop.  I always have.  Now, I shop mostly for Calvin.  When most people talk about "retail therapy" it's about buying themselves something.  Not me!  My Retail Therapy is shopping for Calvin.  I'm addicted to the 3 for $18 shirts at Children's Place! 

5.  I started my own web/graphic/blog design business.  Sugar Sweet Designs.  I haven't gone public about it yet.  I don't really know why.  Well for starters I am still finishing up the website.  I haven't set up a separate bank account for it so there's no Paypal, yet.  And mostly because I'm scared shitless!  I am scared of failure.  What if I fail?!? 

6.  My mom and I fight like cats and dogs.  Seriously.  We have actually thrown plates at each other.  And although I may call her mean names under my breath... she is still MY mom... and I love her!  We are more like sisters than anything.  We've always had a different relationship than most of my friends had with their moms.  But, we are who we are... and of course... we are fabulous! 

7.  I am preparing Calvin to be stupid for preschool screening next week.  I am not lying.  It's not easy to get into our town's public Pre-K.  My cousin is the teacher and she said that Calvin definitely has some things going for him to get in like:  his dad and I aren't together, his dad and I are both vets and have been deployed, and Aaron was deployed during Calvin's life.  But, she said to seal the deal with Pre-K, don't give Calvin a nap before the evaluation and urge him to be extra rowdy!  I'll make sure to give him Fun Dip that morning!!! 

8.  I hate white food.  Dawn's husband called me a food racist.  Hello.  My name is Christina and I am a white food racist!  :-)  Milk freaks me out!!!  Just got chills typing it!  I don't drink white milk or eat white foods. 

9.  Last week I bought myself a new Michael Kors handbag for my birthday.  He is lovely.  Yes, it is a he.  I don't know his name yet.  It was love at first site on ebay.  I got this handsome vanilla leather bag for a steal NWT.  :-)  I told my husband the day after the new bag arrived...  he didn't say much since it was my birthday week.  :-) 

10.  I'm addicted to blogging.  I love blogging.  Always new people to meet and learn from.  I learned about Etsy shops from blogging - Etsy is sooo cool!  Anyway, I enjoy venting, rambling, and documenting the little things in life through blog.  Thank you for being apart of this experience. 

Winners, don't forget to pass on the award! 

100 Life Experiences

I got this from Must Love Tots who got this from Scientific Nature of the Whammy who got this from Megan.  P.S. Megan has lots of interesting info on cloth diapering... almost makes me want to consider it for next time... almost!  Also, I'm using this as my meme for Tattooed Minivan Mom's Meme game. 
It looked like fun, so here goes!

RULES: There are 100 statements and you bold or distinctify the ones you have done. Grab it and play for yourself!! (I hilighted mine in purple - and I have no idea where #11 is)


1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity.


7. Been to Disneyland

 8. Climbed a mountain.

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo


12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept in an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitchhiked - kind of... rode with strangers from to Baltimore from McGuire AFB

23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse (solar)


30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo's David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight


46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris


51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling


52. Kissed in the rain


53. Played in the mud

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business


58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen


61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check


68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten caviar.

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London


77. Broken a bone


78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chicken pox

89. Saved someone's life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one


94. Had a baby


95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a lawsuit

98. Owned a cell phone


99. Been stung by a bee


100. Read an entire book in one day

Tuesday's Quote

"I am like any other man. All I do is supply a demand."
-Al Capone

My Birthday Week

Hi. My name is Christina. I just had a birthday week. It was fabulous. My husband rocks at gift giving. Here is a run-down of my week:

SUNDAY 2/1/09: Dinner at Ruby Tuesday's with Mom and fam. Yumm-O. Thanks, Phil and Ashley for picking up our tab - you rock!

MONDAY 2/2/09: Chris and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary as man and wife. I love my husband - you all know that. He knows that. I want to shout it out to the whole wide world!

TUESDAY 2/3/09: Went to a 5 & 6th grade basketball game to watch our niece Paige cheer! Then, we met up with family at Tricia's basketball game.

WEDNESDAY 2/4/09: I woke-up to 3 text messages alertting me of class cancellations!!! I didn't have to go to school!!!! YAY!

THURSDAY 2/5/09: Tiffany's 27th birthday!!! Also, I met up with Dawn for a hot chocolate date... well that's what we call it but we went to Steak and Shake. I needed that. She totally understands me and doesn't judge my irraticness. Thank-you, Dawn. Also, saw Becky, Kayla, and Tricia there. Nice surprise. Got to catch up w/ them a bit. Afterwards I talked to Tiffany for like 45 minutes. We have both been so busy that we haven't had a chance to catch up on each other's lives. Craziness.

FRIDAY 2/6/09: Calvin and I just weren't getting things done very efficiently in the A.M. Had to go back home twice before actually getting on the road to school. We missed my first class. Surprisingly I wasn't stressed about it like I normally would be. After school I went to Tuscola shopping. It was nice. Got some fabulous deals. Then, back to Mattoon to pick up Calvin and meet Chris at 3:00 pm. We headed to Champaign for a little shopping, dinner at Olive Garden, a trip to Barnes and Noble, and ICE SKATING!!! It was a pre-birthday celebration. :-) I love my husband for getting the whole birthday week concept. :-)

SATURDAY 2/7/09: MY BIRTHDAY!!! I had a hard time waking up. Something just wanted to keep me in bed all day. I could hear Chris and Calvin stirring around the house waiting for me to wake-up to give me my presents. Their excitement motivated me to get out of bed. Have I mentioned that my husband rocks??? Well, he does! Dina (my laptop) got a boyfriend. His name is Brutus. He is sleek, shiny, and oh so very big... 26" to be exact! Yes - Chris got me a huge monitor! Now, Dina and Brutus will live happily ever after while providing me w/ HiDef resolution. :-)
Since Calvin spent the afternoon at his Dad's, Chris and I went to the movies. I tricked him into watching "He's Just Not That Into You." He thought it was going to be a comedy... heheheee... :-) In the evening we went to Tricia's last regular season basketball game and then out to eat. We had ice cream cake (but it was a Valentine's Day cake because it looked the best!) when Calvin got home from his Dad's. Chris and Calvin both sang Happy Birthday to me and Calvin helped me blow out my candles after I insisted that we all make birthday wishes.

SUNDAY 2/8/09: We had brunch at Mom's. She and Clay made an awesome spread of breakfast delights. We got to see my brothers and Cooper! He still loves his Aunt Christina and really wanted to come home with me. Too bad his Dad said no. :-(

I need to send a very special thank-you to Chris, Calvin, and all of my friends and family that gave me a wonderful birthday week. Thank-you! My birthday was harder than I ever imagined. Not because I'm 27... but because nobody told me that my Dad wouldn't call on my birthday. I mean... I know, he's not here, he's gone, he's in heaven and AT&T hasn't found away to get a signal up there... but seriously, nobody told me. I wasn't prepared for the heartache that would overcome me. I spent much of my birthday sad and crying. I am soooo happy that we celebrated Friday because I just wasn't much in the mood yesterday. Now, it is Sunday. I am still in a funk. I want to cry and sleep and shut myself off from the rest of the world for awhile. And Chris left to go back to work. I wanted to cling to him when he left. I feel like I need him today. Like I just can't do this alone. But, I know I can. I am strong. I know this is all just because I'm an emotional wreck.

Tomorrow is Monday... I am going to have a good week. That is not a question, but rather a statement. We have a busy basketball regionals week! Can't miss out on the BBall action!

happy, Happy, HAPPY Birthday!!!

Tiffany, I hope you are having a fantabulous birthday! 
I know you have work -and- school today. 
So, enjoy drinks tomorrow night!!! 
I hope all of your birthday wishes come true! 

Love,
Christina

Just In Case You're Wondering...

My husband rocks!
Seriously!
He got me 2 awesome gifts for our anniversary!
1.) A quilt rack to display the quilts our Grandmothers have given us. We have 3 very beautiful and special quilts that our Grandmothers have made for us. Can't wait to be able to display them!
2.) A gun! Yes! I've wanted a hand gun for a long time. I like to shoot things. I haven't (or hadn't) in years. Back in the day... during Air Force basic trainig, I was awarded the Small Arms Marksmanship Ribbon after shooting pretty darn good with an M-16. Now I have a little .25 Caliber pistol. We shot a few cans outside on our anniversary. But, it was freaking cold - so we didn't stay out too long. Can't wait to use it at the Gunman's Club!

Sweetie, you really know how to get to my heart. Thank-you for a wonderful anniversary! It's hard for me to imagine even better gifts for my birthday this weekend. But, you seem pretty excited about whatever you're giving me! :-)

I'm in BIG trouble!

Last night after Calvin went to bed, when I was cleaning up the Happy Meal mess on the table I came across 2 remaining McNuggets. I was starving (no time for me to have dinner last night) and I didn't want them to go to waste.

I.ate.them.

Calvin woke up this morning searching for his saved McNuggets. Yes, he had saved them, not wasted them. He was so confused looking around and not finding them. He looked everywhere, insisting he hadn't eaten them. Finally, I had to tell him the truth, "Calvin, I ate your Chicken McNuggets." He sobbed, I started crying. Needless to say, I'm taking him to get another Happy Meal today!

Tuesday's Quote

"I really believe in the philosophy that you create your own universe. I'm just trying to create a good one for myself."
- Jim Carrey

Our 1st Anniversary

One year ago today I vowed in front of God, family, and friends to spend the rest of my life with Chris.  He is my rock when I am weak, my shoulder to cry on, my 'Who's there?' to every knock-knock joke, my lover, and my best friend.  It's hard to believe one man can be so much. 

Today we celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary.  It's hard to believe that an entire year has passed since that very special day.  This past year has flown by as fast as our wedding day did.  Although this was a rough year, our love got us through every obstacle and loss the year brought us.  Personally, I don't know what I would have done without him during this last year.  He has a way of knowing the right words to say and the moment I need a hug. 

Chris, thank-you for being you.  You are an amazing husband.  I thank God every single day for blessing me with you.  You have completed me.  Calvin and I are very lucky to have found a man that loves us both unconditionally.  I look forward to spending 50+ more years together. 

Love,
Christina

A Special Delivery

HUGE thank-you to Matt, Wendy, and Caleb for a very special delivery Friday night! I cannot believe you guys replaced our top wedding cake layer with an exact replica! You are just too much for words! We were incredibly surprised! I don't know what Chris and I did to deserve wonderful family like you, but we sure are thankful! Thank-you for the gorgeous cake! It is perfect! Chris and I will definitely enjoy it tomorrow on our anniversary. :-)