Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Always Wear Your Seatbelt!
This is definitely one of the best commercials ever. It shares such a powerful message that we've been told since we were children "always wear your seatbelt," and gives is more meaning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjWufx3fenc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjWufx3fenc
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Glass of Milk
This is a neat story. Thanks for sharing it Dad...and Hailee! It's inspiring.
GLASS OF MILK ...
One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry.
He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.
Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water! . She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it so slowly, and then asked, How much do I owe you?"
You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness."
He said .... "Then I thank you from my heart."
As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.
Many year's later that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.
Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.
Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.
Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once.
He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to her case.
After a long struggle, the battle was won.
Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge, and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words ....
"Paid in full with one glass of milk"
(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.
Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You,
God, that Your love has spread broad through human hearts and hands."
GLASS OF MILK ...
One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry.
He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.
Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water! . She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it so slowly, and then asked, How much do I owe you?"
You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness."
He said .... "Then I thank you from my heart."
As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.
Many year's later that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.
Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.
Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.
Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once.
He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to her case.
After a long struggle, the battle was won.
Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge, and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words ....
"Paid in full with one glass of milk"
(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.
Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You,
God, that Your love has spread broad through human hearts and hands."
Monday, July 19, 2010
More projects...
So, I've been looking for a table and chairs for my third-story deck. It's not very big, so we need something that will fit and not take up too much space, but look good at the same time.
I went to a thrift store called "Grand Ol' Trunk," and couldn't believe what I found. It's EXACTLY what I've been looking for... for $10/set! Needs a bit of TLC, but soon it will be good as new!
I also found this little rocking horse at "Second Thyme Around." I know I don't have any kids yet, but I just couldn't pass this up for only $3.00! It'll be great for when I babysit for now too. :)
I went to a thrift store called "Grand Ol' Trunk," and couldn't believe what I found. It's EXACTLY what I've been looking for... for $10/set! Needs a bit of TLC, but soon it will be good as new!
I also found this little rocking horse at "Second Thyme Around." I know I don't have any kids yet, but I just couldn't pass this up for only $3.00! It'll be great for when I babysit for now too. :)
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Refurbishing Fun!
I had a fun project this last week. I was out garage-saling with Joan (MIL) Saturday (Jul 3) and found an UGLY, but AWESOME hutch. I instantly saw its potential and fell in love. With the help of Joan, I decided to get it. Monday (Jul 5--no work due to Independence Day observance)I bought the primer and paint and wiped it all down. Tuesday the primer went on. Wednesday the first coat, and part of the second went on. Thursday the painting was completed, and I put the new hardware on, but I had the wrong type of hinges so I couldn't finish until Friday after getting new ones. I had so much fun redoing the hutch!
The microwave now sits in the it, and my cookbooks fit perfectly in the side cupboard. Not to mention my punch bowl in the bottom cabinets. Check it out!!!
The only problem is that I don't have a project now because I finished it so fast. I'm thinking it's about time to start scrap booking! I haven't even started anything for my engagement/wedding, let alone anything from our first year or Ireland trip. Anyone up for a scrap booking party?!
The microwave now sits in the it, and my cookbooks fit perfectly in the side cupboard. Not to mention my punch bowl in the bottom cabinets. Check it out!!!
The only problem is that I don't have a project now because I finished it so fast. I'm thinking it's about time to start scrap booking! I haven't even started anything for my engagement/wedding, let alone anything from our first year or Ireland trip. Anyone up for a scrap booking party?!
Monday, July 12, 2010
May-Mid July
It's been a while since updating the blog, and a lot has happened. I'll start with May, and work my way to the present.
May
Not much happened in the beginning of May, but toward the middle things picked up. Shaun's brother, Andy, is getting married!!! We were able to scrimp and save some money and go out for a few days for their engagement party. I met Dena for the first time, and absolutely LOVE her! What a fun person! We flew out to Vegas where they live, and while there we were able to see Uncle Allen and Aunt Sharon, and Grandpa Charles and Jamie who all came out from Ogden, UT. I have only met them all once before, but immediately fell in love with the entire family (both sides). It was great to see everyone! We met Dena's family as well, and they were really nice. Turns out I might be distantly related to them too...SMALL WORLD! =)
Shaun and I were able to go walk around down town on the strip one of the days while Andy was at work. Uncle Allen was kind enough to give us a ride, and pick us up a few hours later. It was quite a site! You know how people always say how crazy Vegas is, and how there are a bunch of weird people and stuff? Well, they're right! I won't even tell you about some of the people we saw, but for the most part it wasn't bad. There were a few Elvis's, and even a Captain Jack Sparrow walking around! It was really fun to walk around the huge hotels and see what kind of attractions they each had. One had a shark exhibit (which we went to), another had a river going through it, and was designed like Venice, Italy with Gondola's you could ride on (for a hefty price--we didn't do that part) and people being statues for hours on end, and more. One, the New York, New York, even had a roller coaster coming out of it! CRAZY!!! I guess once you've seen what one casino looks like you've seen them all and it's not that exciting if you don't gamble, but what I liked was just walking around the different buildings at the other attractions they had. It was a really fun day, and the best part was that I got to do all that with my hubby. We are so happy for Andy and Dena, and can't wait for them to get married! Dena just had a painful surgery, so the wedding will be after she recovers. We wish her all the best in her recovery, and are praying for her-- and Andy as he is taking care of her throughout this tough time. We love you both!
When we got back, the school year was coming to a close. Shaun and I both finished up our semesters, and had a nice break for a couple of weeks before Shaun's summer school started. I worked at a preschool, and their year came to a close as well...as did the other kids I watched. It was a bitter sweet time for me. I was kind of ready to get away from all the kids and drama, but at the same time I teared up at the "Preschool Graduation" while watching the end-of-year slide-show.
Sadly, I don't see the Comas kids much anymore either.
We were able to go on a beginning-of-summer trip to Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Goddard, KS. It was really fun, and the kids all enjoyed seeing and petting all of the animals! A couple of the girls were able to go to a fun pool with Shaun, Dustee and I the next day too. We also had a cook out with a bon fire at their house one evening, and the kids loved it! What a great beginning to a long summer!
June
Shaun went to work full-time right away to get a good start before summer classes began. I was supposed to start full-time as Office Manager (OM) back at First Command Financial Planning (where I was before the preschool), but some things didn't go right, and I didn't start for 3 weeks, and that was only as a part-time intern. In the mean-time while waiting to start my little brother was able to come spend a week with us, and I was able to go down to visit my parents in Wichita for a week. I couldn't enjoy the break as much as I wanted to though, because I was waiting and worrying about when I would start work. I did get to go to a couple of
Dustin's baseball games though!
He did a really good job! He's really good at sliding into home (see video)!
I got to go to the pool with him my last day there too. It was really fun!
When I finally started, it was nice only working until 1 or 2 and having the afternoons off to do whatever I wanted. The OM quit not long after that though, and I was thrown into the position (promotion!) I now work 8-5 M-F, and I'm learning a lot about how to do the job with a lot of help from everyone else...thanks team! Not much else happened in June. Just a lot of me being home alone while Shaun was off studying... pretty much the same as July, and every semester of school.
July
All we've really been doing this month is working, and Shaun's been taking his classes. Independence day was fun. Saturday (Jul 3)we went to the Balsmeier's (members in our ward) house where over 100 people were for a really fun party out back. Everyone brought a side and a dessert to share, and hamburgers and hot dogs were provided, as well as lemonade and water. They had two huge moon bounces set up for the kids, and all the adults visited while the kids played. After dark, the family put on a reduculously huge fireworks show right over our heads! (It would have been better far away where we weren't getting showered by the hot pieces of ash falling down, and the really loud noises, but it was fun. Sunday (Jul 4) we went to the in-laws house immediately after church. We had really good dinner, and visited for a long time. We even watched "Fantastic Mr. Fox" that we bought Doug for Father's Day, and everyone liked it. We also walked down to the CICO Park where the city put on their fireworks display. I love Independence Day!
May
Not much happened in the beginning of May, but toward the middle things picked up. Shaun's brother, Andy, is getting married!!! We were able to scrimp and save some money and go out for a few days for their engagement party. I met Dena for the first time, and absolutely LOVE her! What a fun person! We flew out to Vegas where they live, and while there we were able to see Uncle Allen and Aunt Sharon, and Grandpa Charles and Jamie who all came out from Ogden, UT. I have only met them all once before, but immediately fell in love with the entire family (both sides). It was great to see everyone! We met Dena's family as well, and they were really nice. Turns out I might be distantly related to them too...SMALL WORLD! =)
Shaun and I were able to go walk around down town on the strip one of the days while Andy was at work. Uncle Allen was kind enough to give us a ride, and pick us up a few hours later. It was quite a site! You know how people always say how crazy Vegas is, and how there are a bunch of weird people and stuff? Well, they're right! I won't even tell you about some of the people we saw, but for the most part it wasn't bad. There were a few Elvis's, and even a Captain Jack Sparrow walking around! It was really fun to walk around the huge hotels and see what kind of attractions they each had. One had a shark exhibit (which we went to), another had a river going through it, and was designed like Venice, Italy with Gondola's you could ride on (for a hefty price--we didn't do that part) and people being statues for hours on end, and more. One, the New York, New York, even had a roller coaster coming out of it! CRAZY!!! I guess once you've seen what one casino looks like you've seen them all and it's not that exciting if you don't gamble, but what I liked was just walking around the different buildings at the other attractions they had. It was a really fun day, and the best part was that I got to do all that with my hubby. We are so happy for Andy and Dena, and can't wait for them to get married! Dena just had a painful surgery, so the wedding will be after she recovers. We wish her all the best in her recovery, and are praying for her-- and Andy as he is taking care of her throughout this tough time. We love you both!
When we got back, the school year was coming to a close. Shaun and I both finished up our semesters, and had a nice break for a couple of weeks before Shaun's summer school started. I worked at a preschool, and their year came to a close as well...as did the other kids I watched. It was a bitter sweet time for me. I was kind of ready to get away from all the kids and drama, but at the same time I teared up at the "Preschool Graduation" while watching the end-of-year slide-show.
Sadly, I don't see the Comas kids much anymore either.
We were able to go on a beginning-of-summer trip to Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Goddard, KS. It was really fun, and the kids all enjoyed seeing and petting all of the animals! A couple of the girls were able to go to a fun pool with Shaun, Dustee and I the next day too. We also had a cook out with a bon fire at their house one evening, and the kids loved it! What a great beginning to a long summer!
June
Shaun went to work full-time right away to get a good start before summer classes began. I was supposed to start full-time as Office Manager (OM) back at First Command Financial Planning (where I was before the preschool), but some things didn't go right, and I didn't start for 3 weeks, and that was only as a part-time intern. In the mean-time while waiting to start my little brother was able to come spend a week with us, and I was able to go down to visit my parents in Wichita for a week. I couldn't enjoy the break as much as I wanted to though, because I was waiting and worrying about when I would start work. I did get to go to a couple of
Dustin's baseball games though!
He did a really good job! He's really good at sliding into home (see video)!
I got to go to the pool with him my last day there too. It was really fun!
When I finally started, it was nice only working until 1 or 2 and having the afternoons off to do whatever I wanted. The OM quit not long after that though, and I was thrown into the position (promotion!) I now work 8-5 M-F, and I'm learning a lot about how to do the job with a lot of help from everyone else...thanks team! Not much else happened in June. Just a lot of me being home alone while Shaun was off studying... pretty much the same as July, and every semester of school.
July
All we've really been doing this month is working, and Shaun's been taking his classes. Independence day was fun. Saturday (Jul 3)we went to the Balsmeier's (members in our ward) house where over 100 people were for a really fun party out back. Everyone brought a side and a dessert to share, and hamburgers and hot dogs were provided, as well as lemonade and water. They had two huge moon bounces set up for the kids, and all the adults visited while the kids played. After dark, the family put on a reduculously huge fireworks show right over our heads! (It would have been better far away where we weren't getting showered by the hot pieces of ash falling down, and the really loud noises, but it was fun. Sunday (Jul 4) we went to the in-laws house immediately after church. We had really good dinner, and visited for a long time. We even watched "Fantastic Mr. Fox" that we bought Doug for Father's Day, and everyone liked it. We also walked down to the CICO Park where the city put on their fireworks display. I love Independence Day!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Valentine's Day (I forgot to post it back in February)
Valentine's Day this year was really fun! We actually DID something. We weren't sure where to go, so we googled some places in Topeka, and found our new favorite restaurant... "Diamaru's Sushi and Steakhouse". It was SOOOO GOOD!!! We are starting a new tradition to always have some kind of sushi on valentine's day because we went to a sushi bar last year spur of the moment, and to one this year by chance. It's just meant to be! Plus, it's fun to start our own traditions to add to those we have from our parents'. :)
Anyway, after an AMAZING dinner, we came home, curled up, and fell asleep watching a movie.
The next morning (Sunday--the REAL Vday) Shaun discovered that Cupid had visited us. (A tradition from my family.) I made Shaun a cake and decorated it for the occasion. It was fun since I have no professional experience. We both got CHOCOLATE from Cupid as well. :)
Anyway, after an AMAZING dinner, we came home, curled up, and fell asleep watching a movie.
The next morning (Sunday--the REAL Vday) Shaun discovered that Cupid had visited us. (A tradition from my family.) I made Shaun a cake and decorated it for the occasion. It was fun since I have no professional experience. We both got CHOCOLATE from Cupid as well. :)
KSU Open House
Well, it was a long week of work and school for Shaun and I. I called mom to say hi on Thursday, and found out that Mom, Whitnee, Dustee and Gideon were coming up for open house on campus! I had been trying to get them to for a couple of weeks, but didn't think it would happen. We were happy to have them!
We woke up bright and early Saturday morning because we were under the impression, for SOME reason (cough, cough, SHAUN) that Open House started at 8am. We didn't want to be late and miss out on any activities, so we were walking around by 8:15. After wandering for a while, we found out it didn't start until 9:00. We had fun walking around...when everything finally opened. :) There were lots of activities, and every department had a booth to show a little about what they do. We all had fun! (One of the girls I watch came with us to because she worked hard and earned it... Way to go Mere!)
I was sad to see everyone leave Sunday morning, but I knew it had to come to an end. Everyone made it home safely, and Whitnee had to go back tomorrow. :( See you at Christmas! Love you!
We woke up bright and early Saturday morning because we were under the impression, for SOME reason (cough, cough, SHAUN) that Open House started at 8am. We didn't want to be late and miss out on any activities, so we were walking around by 8:15. After wandering for a while, we found out it didn't start until 9:00. We had fun walking around...when everything finally opened. :) There were lots of activities, and every department had a booth to show a little about what they do. We all had fun! (One of the girls I watch came with us to because she worked hard and earned it... Way to go Mere!)
I was sad to see everyone leave Sunday morning, but I knew it had to come to an end. Everyone made it home safely, and Whitnee had to go back tomorrow. :( See you at Christmas! Love you!
Visiting the fam...
I went to Wichita a couple of weekends ago to visit the family. Whit flew into Wichita to spend a couple of weeks, so I went down to visit. Ashlee was there with her young ones too, so it was a party! Shaun wasn't able to join me because he had "3k Day" out at the DZ, and he needed to be there since the club was sponsoring it.
Anyway, Saturday was really fun! We all chipped in and bought mom a set of nice kitchen pans to replace the ones Ashlee was about to throw out. Mom has had most of them since before Ashlee was born, and it was time to get rid of them! She went with us to get them, and decided she liked the idea of new pans. They are really SHINY!:)
After getting the pans at Sam's, we went to TANGANYIKA Wildlife Park. (It's this wildlife park outside of Goddard. Some guy owns a bunch of land, and decided to adopt a bunch of wild animals.) It's awesome! Basically, it's a hands-on zoo, and you get to pet most of the animals. We had birds flying all over and landing on us, pet goats and a llama, rabbits, turtles, almost pet kangaroos (they were all sleeping and didn't want to come over the us though), fed lemurs, held hands with monkeys (we weren't supposed to do that, but my arms were long enough to reach, and the monkeys grabbed my fingers), saw a bunch more animals we couldn't pet (aka: rhino, white tigers, penguins, mean lemurs, zebras, etc), and Whitnee and Gideon rode a camel! It was a beautiful day to be there, and it was SO much fun!
I was sad to leave Sunday, but happy to get back home to my lonely hubby and my "kids." :) (All 15 of them.)
Anyway, Saturday was really fun! We all chipped in and bought mom a set of nice kitchen pans to replace the ones Ashlee was about to throw out. Mom has had most of them since before Ashlee was born, and it was time to get rid of them! She went with us to get them, and decided she liked the idea of new pans. They are really SHINY!:)
After getting the pans at Sam's, we went to TANGANYIKA Wildlife Park. (It's this wildlife park outside of Goddard. Some guy owns a bunch of land, and decided to adopt a bunch of wild animals.) It's awesome! Basically, it's a hands-on zoo, and you get to pet most of the animals. We had birds flying all over and landing on us, pet goats and a llama, rabbits, turtles, almost pet kangaroos (they were all sleeping and didn't want to come over the us though), fed lemurs, held hands with monkeys (we weren't supposed to do that, but my arms were long enough to reach, and the monkeys grabbed my fingers), saw a bunch more animals we couldn't pet (aka: rhino, white tigers, penguins, mean lemurs, zebras, etc), and Whitnee and Gideon rode a camel! It was a beautiful day to be there, and it was SO much fun!
I was sad to leave Sunday, but happy to get back home to my lonely hubby and my "kids." :) (All 15 of them.)
Easter Weekend
Dustee had a 3-day weekend over Easter, and came up to our place. (I met mom and dad halfway in Salina to make the exchange on Thursday night, then again Sunday evening.) We had a lot of fun! He hung out with Shaun for a while until I got off work at the preschool, then he went with me to pick up the kiddos I watch in the afternoon. They came to our place where the 5 of them sat down to play life (after finishing homework, of course). Then when Shaun came home we all went to the park to play on the playground, and Shaun hid a bunch of Easter Eggs on the other side of the park. After a while we met up with him, and surprised the kids with an Easter egg hunt. They had a blast! It was so much fun watching them look around. Shaun hid them so well that we couldn't find the last couple of eggs, and Shuan couldn't remember where they were either. Haha...
We had a fun Saturday! Dustee went out to the DZ with Shaun to watch some parachuting. They came home around 1:30, and we went to the zoo for the annual "Eggstravaganza" where we learned a little about egg-laying animals. It was PERFECT weather for a zoo day! We ended with a movie and bed that evening.
Sunday morning Dustee was the first to wake up and discover that the Easter Bunny did, in fact, come. I'm still trying to figure out how he got up to our 3rd floor apartment, but I think the consensus is that he used the back stairs and door... likely story, but I'm still skeptic... :)
We had a fun Saturday! Dustee went out to the DZ with Shaun to watch some parachuting. They came home around 1:30, and we went to the zoo for the annual "Eggstravaganza" where we learned a little about egg-laying animals. It was PERFECT weather for a zoo day! We ended with a movie and bed that evening.
Sunday morning Dustee was the first to wake up and discover that the Easter Bunny did, in fact, come. I'm still trying to figure out how he got up to our 3rd floor apartment, but I think the consensus is that he used the back stairs and door... likely story, but I'm still skeptic... :)
Spring Break
We went to Wichita for the last few days of Spring Break to see my parents and Dustee. Ashlee was there with Gid and Ella, and Hailee and Adie surprised mom and dad by showing up as well. The flew into KC from SLC (they live in Idaho), and drove to Wichita with Ashlee. I wish I could have been there to see mom and dad's faces when they saw Adie and Hailee. It sounds like it was really fun.
PS--We got another hermit crab just before spring break. We welcome BRONSON into our family! He came to us from a family at church who didn't want him, and didn't know what to do with him. They found out we had a bunch and pretty much begged us to take him in...so we did! :)
We are pleased to announce that we have now had 5 of our 12 hermit crabs for over a year, and have never lost one! :)
PS--We got another hermit crab just before spring break. We welcome BRONSON into our family! He came to us from a family at church who didn't want him, and didn't know what to do with him. They found out we had a bunch and pretty much begged us to take him in...so we did! :)
We are pleased to announce that we have now had 5 of our 12 hermit crabs for over a year, and have never lost one! :)
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Lightening!
Well, we decided after a couple of weeks with Thunder that she was lonely. After all, you can't have thunder without lightening! So, we decided to get another guinea pig. =) She is so cute and little! This time she came from the pet store as a little thing (about half the size as Thunder) instead of full grown. Her fur looks like she was hit by lightening, so naturally that is her name... Lightening.
Thunder
Lightening
We worried that Thunder might bully little Lightening and that they wouldn't get along, but after a couple of hours, they seem to be the best of friends. We're glad we decided to buy Lightening today on a whim. We were thinking about getting another anyways, but didn't know it would be so soon, but when I saw her, I knew she belonged in our growing family. :)
Thunder and Lightening video on Youtube.com
They already play tag and hide-and-seek together, and with us! We love our family!
(As a reminder, we now have 11 Hermit Crabs, 1 Betta Fish, and 2 Guinea Pigs, along with an empty fish tank that is set up and waiting to be filled with fish.)
We'd better own some land and live in the country when we're ready for a house, because I don't think landlords will be too keen on all the pets we're planning on having!
Thunder
Lightening
We worried that Thunder might bully little Lightening and that they wouldn't get along, but after a couple of hours, they seem to be the best of friends. We're glad we decided to buy Lightening today on a whim. We were thinking about getting another anyways, but didn't know it would be so soon, but when I saw her, I knew she belonged in our growing family. :)
Thunder and Lightening video on Youtube.com
They already play tag and hide-and-seek together, and with us! We love our family!
(As a reminder, we now have 11 Hermit Crabs, 1 Betta Fish, and 2 Guinea Pigs, along with an empty fish tank that is set up and waiting to be filled with fish.)
We'd better own some land and live in the country when we're ready for a house, because I don't think landlords will be too keen on all the pets we're planning on having!
Friday, February 26, 2010
A little THUNDER, a little lightening, a little THUNDER...
Meet the newest member of our clan...THUNDER! We adopted our guinea pig from a gal I work with. She and her husband have had Thunder for about 6 months, (and they got her from a military family moving over seas), but she is almost deathly allergic to the hay Thunder eats, and kept having really bad allergy attacks. She finally had enough and asked if we wanted her. She wanted Thunder to go to a good home, and knew that we would take good care of her...judging by how we take care of our crabs.
Well, we were glad to take on the extra responsibility. I now have a pet that I can actually PET. =) The sad part is that she's already about 4, and guinea pigs usually only live about 6 years on average, so we won't have her for long. =( Until then, we still look on the bright side of things, and give her the best home we can.
(She ate all of our celery, and most of the green peppers and carrots within the first few days. She's a chunker, but at least she eats healthy!)
We love our new baby!
Well, we were glad to take on the extra responsibility. I now have a pet that I can actually PET. =) The sad part is that she's already about 4, and guinea pigs usually only live about 6 years on average, so we won't have her for long. =( Until then, we still look on the bright side of things, and give her the best home we can.
(She ate all of our celery, and most of the green peppers and carrots within the first few days. She's a chunker, but at least she eats healthy!)
We love our new baby!
Crabitat 2
Shaun built a pool in the crab tank. I cut some glass for him, and he glued it into the tank. Then proceeded to hand-glue every rock into it's place so the crabs have something to hold onto and can climb up and down the ramp. He even put a little waterfall/filter in there to keep the rocks cleaner. He said it reminds the crabbers of the ocean since it's saltwater, and he swears that they always go in it...
Personally, I've only seen a couple of the crabs dip their feet in the water once or twice, but they have never submerge themselves in it completely (unless they didn't know there was water on the other side of the hill and fell in.) I think it should have been half the size that it is, but Shaun had fun with it. =)
Personally, I've only seen a couple of the crabs dip their feet in the water once or twice, but they have never submerge themselves in it completely (unless they didn't know there was water on the other side of the hill and fell in.) I think it should have been half the size that it is, but Shaun had fun with it. =)
Sunday, January 24, 2010
New Family Members...
Well folks, the rumors are true! Yesterday we went out and bought 5 more hermit crabs-- making a total of 11!
We now have (in order of when we bought them--oldest to newest):
1. Sid
2. Jeff
3. Leopold (Leo)
4. Rocky
5. Squirt
6. Monty
7. Spike
8. Brock
9. Tarzan
10. Jane
11. Jinx.
We also have purchased a much bigger tank (20 gal Long) to fit everyone in, as well as a climbing log, the hidy hut we already had, some live plants, a new water and food dish, and new sand. Our date night this past weekend consisted of shopping for and setting up the new Crabitat while watching a movie Friday night, and we decided to buy the additional 5 crabs while doing so. We purchased them together Saturday afternoon- planned on 4, but ended up getting 5. It really was a blast! =)
Most people think we are crazy because we are so obsessed with the crabbers, but the truth is that they need to be taken care of just like any other pet or family member. The pet store does a horrible job of taking care of them, and they are overlooked because they are not popular pets. Not to mention that we can't have any other animals in our apartment right now, so those we have now make us very happy. They are fascinating creatures with amazingly different personalities. They are much like people, or any other pet-- stubborn, shy, outgoing, adventurous, not-so-adventurous, etc., and WE LOVE THEM!
We also have a pet beta fish named Flint. We actually got him from some neighbors who didn't want him anymore, poor guy. He's beautiful though, and we love him too!
We now have (in order of when we bought them--oldest to newest):
1. Sid
2. Jeff
3. Leopold (Leo)
4. Rocky
5. Squirt
6. Monty
7. Spike
8. Brock
9. Tarzan
10. Jane
11. Jinx.
We also have purchased a much bigger tank (20 gal Long) to fit everyone in, as well as a climbing log, the hidy hut we already had, some live plants, a new water and food dish, and new sand. Our date night this past weekend consisted of shopping for and setting up the new Crabitat while watching a movie Friday night, and we decided to buy the additional 5 crabs while doing so. We purchased them together Saturday afternoon- planned on 4, but ended up getting 5. It really was a blast! =)
Most people think we are crazy because we are so obsessed with the crabbers, but the truth is that they need to be taken care of just like any other pet or family member. The pet store does a horrible job of taking care of them, and they are overlooked because they are not popular pets. Not to mention that we can't have any other animals in our apartment right now, so those we have now make us very happy. They are fascinating creatures with amazingly different personalities. They are much like people, or any other pet-- stubborn, shy, outgoing, adventurous, not-so-adventurous, etc., and WE LOVE THEM!
We also have a pet beta fish named Flint. We actually got him from some neighbors who didn't want him anymore, poor guy. He's beautiful though, and we love him too!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
One year down, Eternity to go...
We met on July 20, 2008. We started officially dating August 20, were officially engaged November 1, and married December 20, 2008--5 months after actually meeting, and 4 months after starting to date. We've known each other for 17 months now, and we've been married a year of that...holy cow! I can't believe it's been a whole year since Shaun and I tied the knot. This year has passed by so quickly!
To celebrate our success in making it a whole year, as well as a reward for getting through the tough semester, we treated ourselves to a 9 day, 8 night trip to IRELAND. It was pretty much AMAZING! The weather wasn't the best, but that didn't stop us. Keep reading to find out more about what we did...
IRELANDIRELANDIRELANDIRELANDIRELANDIRELAND
After a 2 day flight delay and about 20 hours of traveling and waiting in airports, we had finally made it to Dublin. The exchange rate for money was ridiculous! On top of losing money in the exchange we thought we had, everything was really expensive in Dublin because there are so many tourists.
DAY 1: When we got out of the airport we rode the bus to City Centre where we THOUGHT our hotel was. After walking around for about 2 1/2 hours in the cold, wind, and rain we finally hailed a cab and found out we were on the wrong side of the city...Not even close to the hotel! We finally made it though, and quickly learned the bus routes we would need to take if we wanted to go anywhere.
There was so much to do, and so little time (and MONEY). Here are random pics that don't really relate to particular events:
DAY 2: The first full day we visited the Kilmainham Gaol (Jail) and the Guinness Store House.
DAY 3: New Year's Eve was spent touring the Christ Church Cathedral and the Viking Museum. (We would have done more, but we slept in late, and then took the wrong bus. We ended up in the middle of nowhere for about an hour walking around until we finally found another bus to take us to the right place.)We watched London's New Year events on TV...I know, we're exciting! It was a great show though. :) We just got tired of walking around in the snow with nothing to do for a few hours, and got too bored to wait around for the bells to ring at Christ Church.
DAY 4: No buses, no taxis, and too far to walk...the Irish take their holidays very seriously! We walked a little ways to a little mini-town where almost nothing was open. We went to a convenience shop or two, then found a small cafe for brunch (which had AMAZING food, by the way), and came back to the hotel by 12:30ish. Spent the rest of the day being lazy and sad that we couldn't do any sightseeing. It was nice to have a day to relax and rejuvenate for the rest of the week though.
DAY 5: The Book of Kells and Trinity College, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and the National Museum of Ireland were all checked off of our list. (The Book of Kells and the National Museum did not allow photography.)We walked by Dublin Castle on our way home, but didn't have any desire to tour the place.
DAY 6: We found a bus to take us out of town! We went to a small town called Cashel to see the Rock of Cashel (a castle from the 11th-15th centuries) and Hore Abbey (an old abbey from the 13th-14th centuries). It's amazing that parts of buildings that old can still be standing now!
DAY 7: We took a bus from Cashel to Cork to Blarney to see Blarney Castle and to kiss the Blarney Stone. [According to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with the gift of gab (great eloquence or skill at flattery)--to learn more about the stone, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blarney_Stone). After Blarney, we went back and walked around Cork for a while waiting for the bus to take us the 4 hours back to Dublin.
DAY 8: This was our last day to look around, but we didn't do much. We walked around the city and found souvenirs, then went down to the bay and back for a nice, long walk, then headed back to the hotel early evening. We were worn out from all of the excitement, and had packing to do.
DAY 9: We had to come home... I have mixed feelings about being back. It's nice not to have to eat out every meal though. We were getting sick of "take away" and restaurant food.
(**Note: Many picture dates are one day off because of the time change.)
To celebrate our success in making it a whole year, as well as a reward for getting through the tough semester, we treated ourselves to a 9 day, 8 night trip to IRELAND. It was pretty much AMAZING! The weather wasn't the best, but that didn't stop us. Keep reading to find out more about what we did...
IRELANDIRELANDIRELANDIRELANDIRELANDIRELAND
After a 2 day flight delay and about 20 hours of traveling and waiting in airports, we had finally made it to Dublin. The exchange rate for money was ridiculous! On top of losing money in the exchange we thought we had, everything was really expensive in Dublin because there are so many tourists.
DAY 1: When we got out of the airport we rode the bus to City Centre where we THOUGHT our hotel was. After walking around for about 2 1/2 hours in the cold, wind, and rain we finally hailed a cab and found out we were on the wrong side of the city...Not even close to the hotel! We finally made it though, and quickly learned the bus routes we would need to take if we wanted to go anywhere.
There was so much to do, and so little time (and MONEY). Here are random pics that don't really relate to particular events:
DAY 2: The first full day we visited the Kilmainham Gaol (Jail) and the Guinness Store House.
DAY 3: New Year's Eve was spent touring the Christ Church Cathedral and the Viking Museum. (We would have done more, but we slept in late, and then took the wrong bus. We ended up in the middle of nowhere for about an hour walking around until we finally found another bus to take us to the right place.)We watched London's New Year events on TV...I know, we're exciting! It was a great show though. :) We just got tired of walking around in the snow with nothing to do for a few hours, and got too bored to wait around for the bells to ring at Christ Church.
DAY 4: No buses, no taxis, and too far to walk...the Irish take their holidays very seriously! We walked a little ways to a little mini-town where almost nothing was open. We went to a convenience shop or two, then found a small cafe for brunch (which had AMAZING food, by the way), and came back to the hotel by 12:30ish. Spent the rest of the day being lazy and sad that we couldn't do any sightseeing. It was nice to have a day to relax and rejuvenate for the rest of the week though.
DAY 5: The Book of Kells and Trinity College, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and the National Museum of Ireland were all checked off of our list. (The Book of Kells and the National Museum did not allow photography.)We walked by Dublin Castle on our way home, but didn't have any desire to tour the place.
DAY 6: We found a bus to take us out of town! We went to a small town called Cashel to see the Rock of Cashel (a castle from the 11th-15th centuries) and Hore Abbey (an old abbey from the 13th-14th centuries). It's amazing that parts of buildings that old can still be standing now!
DAY 7: We took a bus from Cashel to Cork to Blarney to see Blarney Castle and to kiss the Blarney Stone. [According to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with the gift of gab (great eloquence or skill at flattery)--to learn more about the stone, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blarney_Stone). After Blarney, we went back and walked around Cork for a while waiting for the bus to take us the 4 hours back to Dublin.
DAY 8: This was our last day to look around, but we didn't do much. We walked around the city and found souvenirs, then went down to the bay and back for a nice, long walk, then headed back to the hotel early evening. We were worn out from all of the excitement, and had packing to do.
DAY 9: We had to come home... I have mixed feelings about being back. It's nice not to have to eat out every meal though. We were getting sick of "take away" and restaurant food.
(**Note: Many picture dates are one day off because of the time change.)
Thoughts on Marriage
Some say love doesn't work that way Some say that you can't know withing the first week of dating a person that they are "the one," and that anyone who moves that quickly won't have a chance. Some say it's stupid to get married while you're still in school, and that the guy is supposed to be graduated with a job and house, and be all set up before even thinking about marriage. Some say marriage just isn't worth it...
To those who think that way, I have news for you... IT HAPPENS! I never thought I would be one of those typical Mormon scenarios that moves quickly, but it caught me completely off guard. There were so many other things going on in my life, and one morning I had decided to swear off guys for a while so I could figure a few things out. A LOT OF GOOD THAT DID ME! Later that very same day Shaun and I discovered that we both play the upright bass, and that was it...figures. Did I ever think I would be engaged at 19 and married at 20? NOT A CHANCE! I had plans my life. I had things to do I knew I wouldn't be able to do being married (or so I thought). I was going to travel and see the world. I was going to do SO much before "settling down," and it was NOT going to be now.
It didn't take me long after meeting Shaun to realize that being married meant "settling down" in terms of not dating around anymore, but it didn't mean being boring. It didn't mean you can't travel the world, but rather that you'll have someone to do it with. Being married means having someone to come home to at the end of a long and hard day to share your grief and joy with. It means helping each other through the hard times, and celebrating through the good. It means being with the one you love for ETERNITY!
Some people call me crazy for getting married so young, but it is the best thing I have ever done BY FAR! Everyday is a new adventure. Everyday a new learning experience. I wouldn't trade Shaun for anything!
To those who think that way, I have news for you... IT HAPPENS! I never thought I would be one of those typical Mormon scenarios that moves quickly, but it caught me completely off guard. There were so many other things going on in my life, and one morning I had decided to swear off guys for a while so I could figure a few things out. A LOT OF GOOD THAT DID ME! Later that very same day Shaun and I discovered that we both play the upright bass, and that was it...figures. Did I ever think I would be engaged at 19 and married at 20? NOT A CHANCE! I had plans my life. I had things to do I knew I wouldn't be able to do being married (or so I thought). I was going to travel and see the world. I was going to do SO much before "settling down," and it was NOT going to be now.
It didn't take me long after meeting Shaun to realize that being married meant "settling down" in terms of not dating around anymore, but it didn't mean being boring. It didn't mean you can't travel the world, but rather that you'll have someone to do it with. Being married means having someone to come home to at the end of a long and hard day to share your grief and joy with. It means helping each other through the hard times, and celebrating through the good. It means being with the one you love for ETERNITY!
Some people call me crazy for getting married so young, but it is the best thing I have ever done BY FAR! Everyday is a new adventure. Everyday a new learning experience. I wouldn't trade Shaun for anything!
HAPPENINGS...
Well, life has been absolutely CRAZY these past few months! I don't really have any good excuses for not updating the blog except for the lack of time and energy. I'm only making myself do it now because a lot has happened recently, and I want to let everyone know how we're doing.
APARTMENT UPDATE:
To those who haven't heard, we finally moved out of the "black hole" we used to live in on October 23-24, 2009. We found a MUCH nicer apartment on the other side of town that is a 2 bed, 1.5 bath. Not to brag, but we now have a living room, COAT CLOSET, kitchen, PANTRY, LINEN CLOSET, FULL-SIZE bathroom (with a big shower/tub we don't have to bend over in to wash our hair), 1/2 BATHROOM in the bedroom, bedroom, OFFICE with a HUGE CLOSET, and my personal favorite is the HEAT/AC! (New things in all caps). It has straight, flat walls, NO mice, NO bats, and NO black mold! The landlord, Kay Taylor, is really nice too! (Example: For Christmas she left a card and box of chocolates on everybody's doorstep.) They actually clear the parking here when it snows! I know we're easy to please after our last place, but we are VERY happy with how things are at the new place.
We actually have an office now so we don't have a cramped front room because of walls lined with desks, a sewing table, and furniture. We were even able to get a nice bookshelf to make things look a little more organized! The front room feels like twice the size of the old one because it's not so cluttered. We had room for a Christmas tree this year, which totally made the season for me.
(I'll get pictures up after I clean the place. It's a little messy after getting home from our trip and unpacking everything. Not to mention I don' t remember how to use Picasa, so I'll have to talk to my sister. =] )
WORK AND WORK... I MEAN SCHOOL (is there really a difference?):
I'm still working 2 jobs as well as taking classes online (we're between semesters right now, and it has been such a nice break). Shaun is working part-time and taking classes full-time at KSU. This past semester was pretty hard on us both. Shaun struggled in his grad classes, but pulled out with good grades because of all of his hard work and time spent. We didn't really get to see each other all that much because our schedules just didn't match up to where we could. I would leave for work before he would wake up, and most nights I would be in bed before he got home from studying. We tried to remember a date night, but it was really hard with all of the work having to be done. I had a tough semester, other than not seeing my hubby, with work from 6:55am-about 5:30 or 6:00pm (sometimes later), then a quick dinner and homework all hours of the night. Repeat Monday-Friday. It was a tough semester, but we managed to make it through.
CHRISTMAS
Christmas was fun this year! I bought Shaun a new hermit crab to add to those we already have. Monty makes 6, and we're planning on getting a bigger tank and a couple more later this or next month. We love our crabs!
Christmas was at Shaun's parent's house this year. Robyn, Eric and little Charlie flew in from D.C., and on Christmas Eve everyone was supposed to come to Manhattan for dinner and games, etc. at Doug & Joan's, but everyone was snowed in in Topeka, and the roads were closed because of the blizzard happening that night. It ended up just being us and the parents. We had a nice evening. It was good to spend time with them and visit.
Christmas day we all went to Topeka for dinner (late lunch) at Eric's parent's house. It had stopped snowing for the most part and roads were opened, but we ended up pushing about 5 cars out of the snow that day. Dinner was really good, and the babies were adorable! We had a good time with everyone, and an overall great holiday!
APARTMENT UPDATE:
To those who haven't heard, we finally moved out of the "black hole" we used to live in on October 23-24, 2009. We found a MUCH nicer apartment on the other side of town that is a 2 bed, 1.5 bath. Not to brag, but we now have a living room, COAT CLOSET, kitchen, PANTRY, LINEN CLOSET, FULL-SIZE bathroom (with a big shower/tub we don't have to bend over in to wash our hair), 1/2 BATHROOM in the bedroom, bedroom, OFFICE with a HUGE CLOSET, and my personal favorite is the HEAT/AC! (New things in all caps). It has straight, flat walls, NO mice, NO bats, and NO black mold! The landlord, Kay Taylor, is really nice too! (Example: For Christmas she left a card and box of chocolates on everybody's doorstep.) They actually clear the parking here when it snows! I know we're easy to please after our last place, but we are VERY happy with how things are at the new place.
We actually have an office now so we don't have a cramped front room because of walls lined with desks, a sewing table, and furniture. We were even able to get a nice bookshelf to make things look a little more organized! The front room feels like twice the size of the old one because it's not so cluttered. We had room for a Christmas tree this year, which totally made the season for me.
(I'll get pictures up after I clean the place. It's a little messy after getting home from our trip and unpacking everything. Not to mention I don' t remember how to use Picasa, so I'll have to talk to my sister. =] )
WORK AND WORK... I MEAN SCHOOL (is there really a difference?):
I'm still working 2 jobs as well as taking classes online (we're between semesters right now, and it has been such a nice break). Shaun is working part-time and taking classes full-time at KSU. This past semester was pretty hard on us both. Shaun struggled in his grad classes, but pulled out with good grades because of all of his hard work and time spent. We didn't really get to see each other all that much because our schedules just didn't match up to where we could. I would leave for work before he would wake up, and most nights I would be in bed before he got home from studying. We tried to remember a date night, but it was really hard with all of the work having to be done. I had a tough semester, other than not seeing my hubby, with work from 6:55am-about 5:30 or 6:00pm (sometimes later), then a quick dinner and homework all hours of the night. Repeat Monday-Friday. It was a tough semester, but we managed to make it through.
CHRISTMAS
Christmas was fun this year! I bought Shaun a new hermit crab to add to those we already have. Monty makes 6, and we're planning on getting a bigger tank and a couple more later this or next month. We love our crabs!
Christmas was at Shaun's parent's house this year. Robyn, Eric and little Charlie flew in from D.C., and on Christmas Eve everyone was supposed to come to Manhattan for dinner and games, etc. at Doug & Joan's, but everyone was snowed in in Topeka, and the roads were closed because of the blizzard happening that night. It ended up just being us and the parents. We had a nice evening. It was good to spend time with them and visit.
Christmas day we all went to Topeka for dinner (late lunch) at Eric's parent's house. It had stopped snowing for the most part and roads were opened, but we ended up pushing about 5 cars out of the snow that day. Dinner was really good, and the babies were adorable! We had a good time with everyone, and an overall great holiday!
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