Our So-Called Life

Bountiful Baskets

2012-01-28T12:44:00.003-06:00

For the past several months, I've been getting fresh produce from a co-op called Bountiful Baskets. What I love about this co-op is that I can participate when I want, unlike others where you have to participate each week or so. Also, unlike other co-ops that are typically $40-$50 a basket, this is only $15 a basket. You can't beat that!

Bountiful Baskets

This was today's basket:

2 Romain lettuce
1 Cabbage
9 Oranges
1lb Bluberries
5 Onions
3lbs Red potatoes
1lb Green beans
2 Grapefruits
6 Apples
6 Tomatoes
6 Green bell peppers
1 bunch Asparagus

My favorite recipe

2012-01-16T12:37:00.002-06:00

Roast Chicken, with lemon, asparagus, and potatoes!

It's delish! I do make a few substitutions though. Since I'm not a fan of eating chicken off the bone, I use boneless skinless chicken breast and cook a little longer. I also use a butter substitute and add the juice from 2 lemons to the pan.

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, halved
3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces or butter substitute
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
3 lemons, 1 cut in slices
6 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place potatoes and half the butter in a roasting pan; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until potatoes are golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
2.Place chicken on top of potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken about 30 minutes.
3.Scatter asparagus, lemon slices, remaining butter, and thyme around chicken. Sqeeze juice from 2 lemons on chicken and vegetables. Roast until asparagus is tender and chicken is opaque throughout, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve chicken, vegetables, and lemon drizzled with pan juices.

Christmas gifts

2011-12-16T10:06:00.003-06:00

Being that we are on a tight budget this year, I decided to make my own Christmas gifts. So I set out on Pinterest to find some ideas on what to make and found these lovely Homemade Vanilla Extract bottles. So simple, cute, and most of all inexpensive yet something everyone uses.

To make these on your own, simply follow these few steps:

Items you'll need

1. Vanilla beans. I purchased a half pound of bourbon vanilla beans from Beanilla.

2. 4 oz. bottles and caps. I bought mine from the Specialty Bottle company for $0.67 each.

3. Unflavored vodka. The cheap stuff is fine, just make sure it’s unflavored.

4. Labels. I bought sticker paper from staples and made my own. If you don’t feel like bothering with that, there are plenty of places online where you can get custom labels.

Now that you have all the pieces, start by cutting up the beans. First, cut them in half. Then split each one down the middle, exposing the little beans (“caviar”) inside.

And then, stick the beans in the bottle and pour in the vodka.

Seal it tightly, and let the bottle sit for 2 months. Give the bottles a little shake once or twice a week and you’re done.

When the bottle gets low, just keep adding a little vodka and let sit for 6-8 weeks. If it seems weak after a while, just throw in another vanilla bean.

Here's my finished product!

November already?

2010-11-01T11:35:00.004-05:00

Can it really be that it's November already? This year has just FLOWN by, it's unbelievable. Perhaps we've just been so busy, we haven't had time to really stop and think.

Alan and I just returned from DC again. I had a business trip and he opted to join me so that he could visit family and friends. It was a busy busy time, but we had a ton of fun. Love hanging out with everyone back there.

We've been contemplating a move back east as each time we leave it's harder and harder to leave.

I'm still couponing, just not as much as I've run out of space to store stuff. I did however get $85 of groceries at Kroger on Saturday for $40. Can't beat saving 50% off on groceries that we are going to use.

I leave you with a pic of the cutest little thing on the planet:

Slacker

2010-09-20T11:04:00.002-05:00

I'm a very serious slacker. I've been so busy lately and have just completely neglected my blog.

Here's just a taste of what's been happening lately.

Swagbucks.. it's like free money!

2010-08-11T13:05:00.003-05:00

I've been using SwagBucks for a while now and just love it! So far I've gotten $20 worth of Target e-gift cards for free! I just use it to search the web and other codes here and there that I find. LOVE it!

If you want to join click on the link below! You'll be on your way to earning free stuff as well!

Profit of $16.44

2010-06-28T09:39:00.002-05:00

Here are my goodies from last week:

Fusion ProGlide Razor $9.97 plus $5.00 in ECB's back
-$4/1 ProGlide Razor

(2) Hawaiian Tropics sunscreen $9.99/each plus $10.00 in ECB's back
-(2) $2/1 any Hawaiian Tropics

Mitchum Deodorant $2.99 plus $1.00 in ECB's back
-$0.75/1 any Mitchum product

(2) Colgate Total toothpaste $2.99/each plus $4.00 in ECB's back
-(2) $1/1 Colgate Total toothpaste

(2) Twizzlers B1G1 @ $2.79

(2) Arizona Tea $1.32

(2) PowerBars $0.99/each plus $1.98 in ECB's back

(2) Fig Newtons $0.99/each
-$1/2 Fig newtons

(2) Rimmel Foundations on clearance at 75% off $1.98/each (total of $3.96 for both)
-(2) $1/1 Rimmel product
~I paid a total of $1.96 for two foundations

NYC Mineral Powder eye shadow on clearance at 75% off $1.32
-$1/1 any NYC color product
~I paid a total of $0.32 for the eye shadow

PLUS I had another $10 off purchase of $50

Total cost of products= $52.29
Minus coupons= $24.75
Sub Total of $27.54
Used $22.00 in ECB's from previous trip

Total out of pocket was $5.54

Plus I got back $21.98 in ECB's for a profit of $16.44

Totally love Target

2010-06-14T15:02:00.002-05:00

It's VBS week here at work, so I did a little retail therapy during my lunch break to curtail the screaming headache I have.

I don't have a picture as I wasn't about to lug all my goodies and an 18lb bag of cat food into my office.

In short, I purchased $48.90 worth of product for $9.01

3 Vanish drop-in’s toilet bowl cleaner
-Target B1G1 free coupon
-Mfg B1G1 free coupon
So purchased 1 for $2.14 and got 2 fre

Scrubbing Bubbles Extend-a-Clean Power Sprayer
-$5/1 any one Power Sprayer
-Target $3/1 any on Power Sprayer
(these are currently on special buy for $6.99, so I made $1.01 on this)

Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet cleaning gel and Toilet brush refill
-$1/1 any on toilet cleaning product
-Target buy on cleaning gel get a free brush refill

2 Ziploc storage containers on sale for $2.27
-$1.50/2 any Ziploc storage items
-Target $1/1 any Ziploc storage item

Clean & Clear Pore Cleanser on sale for $2.00
-$2/1 any clean & clear product

Clean & Clear Pore moisturizer on sale for $2.00
--$2/1 any clean & clear product

Kraft 100 calorie pack cheese on sale for $1.99
-$1/1 any Kraft 100 calorie pack

18lb Friskies Feline Favorites on clearance for $10.10
-$1/1 any Friskies cat food
-Target $1/1 Friskies cat food

LaCroix sparkling water 8pk on clearance for $1.99
-Target $1.25/1 any LaCroix water

Profit $15.70

2010-06-13T19:43:00.004-05:00

Another big profit at CVS for me today! So exciting.

I apologize for the blurry picture, I was having issues with my phone and my cat jumping at my arm while I was trying to take the picture.

Today's purchass breakdown is this:

3 Boxes General Mills Cereal (Lucky Charms, Rice Chex, and Honey Nut Cheerios)
$3/10 plus $4 in ECB's
- $1.00/2 General Mills cereal
-$0.75/1 off any Chex

Tropicana Orange Juice on sale for $2.99
-$1.00/1 any tropicana juice

Arm & Hammer cat litter on sale for $5.99
-$1.00/1 any Arm & Hammer cat litter

Colgate Pro Clinical toothpaste $3.99 plus $2.00 back in ECB's
-$1.00/1 any pro clinical toothpaste

Schick Hydro Razor $8.97 plus $4.00 back in ECB's
-$4.00/1 any Hydro razor

Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor $9.97 plus $5.00 back in ECB's
-$4.00/1 any fusion razor

John Frieda Root Awakening shampoo on sale for $5.00 plus $3 in ECB's with purchase of 2
-$3.00/1 any root awakening product

John Frieda Root awakening conditioner on sale for $5.00
-$3.00/1 any root awakening product.

Hershey's bagged candy $3.99 plus get second for $0.01
-$1.00/1 any hershey's bagged candy

My total before coupons was $55.91. I used a $10 off any purchase of $50, bringing my total down to $45.91. Then I used $23.00 in ECB's as well.

I'm kind of confused on how CVS does their stuff, because according to my calculations I should have paid like $3 and some change. However my out of pocket was only $2.30

I got $18 in ECB's back for an overall profit of $15.70

Profit of $13.27

2010-06-10T13:18:00.004-05:00

Yes, you read that correctly. I made a profit of $13.27 on all the items in the picture above.

Here's the breakdown.

I had a CVS coupon for $10 off purchase of $50.

Dove Products- Spend $15 get $5 in Extra Buck Rewards
-$2/1 any Dove deodorant
-$2/1 any Dove deodorant
-$2/1 any Dove hair or body product
-$2/1 any Dove hair or body product

Rolaids Soft Chews 36 ct- Buy two get $4 in Extra Buck Rewards
-$4/2 any Rolaids product

Kellogg's Products- 3/$10 plus $5 in Extra Buck Rewards
-$1/2 Kellogg's cereals

Gillette Fusion Razor- $9.97 plus get $5 in Extra Buck Rewards
-$4/1 Gillette Fusion Razor

Gillette Venus Breeze Razor- $8.99 plus get $4 in Extra Buck Rewards
-$2/1 any Gillette Venus Razor

Product total came to $52.45
All coupons total of $29.00
Extra Buck's used $14.00
Total out of pocket $9.73

I made $23 in Extra Buck's to use on my next trip. Which equals out to a profit of $13.27 on this trip.

Stay tuned next week! I'll be getting even more for even less out of pocket. Here's a sneak peak!

$0.49 John Frieda Root Awakening
$0.49 Colgate Pro Clinical toothpaste
Free Old Spice Body Wash and Deodorant

I heart Wags

2010-06-04T14:47:00.003-05:00

Profit $3.25

2 Luster White 7 toothpaste
1 Kotex
2 tic tacs
2 Lifesavers
1 Renuzit Crystal Element
1 Oxi Clean Max Force

I paid $6.75 out of pocket and got $10.00 in Register Rewards back.

I heart CVS

2010-06-04T14:42:00.001-05:00

Profit of $4.54

12 Double Roll pack of Charmin TP
12 Roll pack of Bounty
3 Boxes Puff's plus lotion
1 gallon of milk
1 box of Oreo cakesters
1 bag of Oreo cookies
1 Blade 5 razor system
1 Schick Hydro 5 razor

Total before coupons $51.92

I paid $16.46 out of pocket and got $21.00 in ECB's for my next trip.

Walgreens- deal of the week

2010-05-21T16:40:00.003-05:00

Walgreens currently has Gillette body wash and Old Spice body wash for free. (well you pay $4.49 for it and get $4.50 in Register Rewards. They also had a coupon in their Sunday circular for Listerine 1L bottles 3/$6.99.

I had coupons for B1G1 on both of the body washes and a $3 off the purchase of 3 Listerine products, plus I already had some Register Rewards saved up.

I was able to get 4 Body washes and 3 bottles of Listerine for FREE!

The Herbal Essences is from CVS. They have it on special right now for $0.99, plus there are several coupons out there for HE products making it either free or at a profit.

I could get use to this shopping thing

2010-05-13T13:51:00.003-05:00

I made $2.22 on my trip to CVS this week. Not quite minimum wage, but I think I can handle making some money by simply shopping.

Here are my goodies from today.

My purchase today included:

2 Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets
2 Right Guard deodorants
2 Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers
3 Mentos gum
1 Crest Pro-Health toothpaste
1 Pantene Shampoo
1 Pantene Conditioner
1 Hawaiian Tropics Sun tan oil
1 Kotex feminine products

Total before tax and coupons: $51.28

Coupons were a total of $11.85
I had $7.50 in ECB's
Plus I had a $10 off purchase of $50 from the coupon center inside CVS (make sure you visit this little kiosk, it's well worth your time)

So my savings was $29.35. I paid $19.28

BUT... I have $21.50 in ECB's to use on my next purchase. Gotta love CVS!

Nivea jackpot

2010-05-07T16:30:00.001-05:00

I scored the ultimate Nivea jackpot today at CVS.

I got the following items:

1 Men's shower gel
1 Woman's body wash
3 Shaving gel
1 chapstick
1 hand cream

Regular price total for all of this would have been about $40. I paid $5 and some change. I also got $5 ECB's as well as a $4 coupon for providing my updated email address.

Thrifty Nifty

2010-04-29T10:31:00.004-05:00

This weeks freebies come courtesy of Walgreens.

I had $2.50 Register Rewards from a previous shopping trip. I also had a $1.50 off coupon on purchase of 2 Skintimate shaving creams. So I got 2 shave creams for $1.98 Extra bonus, I have $3.00 Register Rewards for my next trip.

Also thought I would share some more links of places I frequent. I'm a coupon junky I guess you could say.

Totally Target www.totallytarget.com/
- for everything your little Target heart desires, just cheaper
I Heart Wags iheartwags.com/
- Who wouldn't love walgreens when you can get most things for free
I Heart CVS www.iheartcvs.com/
- I already love CVS, but now that they pay me to shop there, I love it even more
Living Rich with Coupons www.livingrichwithcoupons.com/
- Usually stuff I already know about, but sometimes I don't

How far can you get with $10

2010-04-20T14:03:00.004-05:00

I came across this article on CNN last week.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/04/16/ten.dollars.irpt/index.html">">

I started thinking of all the countries I've visited and how far $10 would get me there. Then I thought about the average american. Now days $10 wouldn't even get you two foot long subs at Subway when you include tax. It would get you about 3 gallons of gas.

But if you're me, $10 can get you quite a bit of stuff! Tom Thumb is having a great sale this week on breakfast foods. So I loaded up with my coupons I got from the Sunday paper, some coupons I found online, and coupons I got off food packages themselves.

I spent $10 on the dot, no tax and got

5 boxes of Quaker Oatmeal
2 boxes of Raisin bran
2 boxes of Crispix
1 box of Cheerios

Thrifty Thursday

2010-04-15T15:29:00.002-05:00

I love Etsy...

Despite my overwhelming urge to purchase anything and everything from that website, I've been able to curb my spending and limit my purchases.

Now lately I've been getting frustrated when taking heaping pile of coupons to each store with me. I've been making a list in excel and then paper clipping all the coupons to the list. Well, this is frustrating for many reasons: coupons fall out of the paper clips then its mad dash to find the coupons I need, I have a gazillion paper clips in my purse that get on my nerves, and it's very unorganized. I refuse to bring my entire coupon book to each store with me, so I've been searching for a way to keep them organized when I go to the stores. I'm pretty picky on what I want so it's been a task to find something.

Insert Etsy

I found a girl that has the most adorable shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/mylilbudgetbook. All she sales is Cash Envelope & Coupon Filing books. I found that the "My Lil Budget Book" works perfectly for my needs to keep coupons organized in my purse and it's small enough to fit in my purse without taking up too much space. Have I mentioned how adorable it is??? I'm soo totally excited about it! I LOVE it!

Thrifty Thursday

2010-04-07T23:23:00.000-05:00

So I'm a little overdue... oh well

Really don't have anything spectacular this week. So I'll share a website that I frequent now, instead of paying for the grocery game.

I gave up on grocery game because I felt that it was all stuff that I could really truly research myself and do for myself instead of paying someone $20 a month to tell me how I do it.

I love Coupon Mom because 1. it's free 2. there are lots of links to online printable coupons 3. it's free!

Hope you enjoy

http://www.couponmom.com/

Thrifty Thursday

2010-03-25T11:53:00.002-05:00

I think I'll try to put my weekly sales in a Thrifty Thursday post each week. We'll see how it goes.

Tuesday I stopped at Kroger on my way home to purchase some much needed groceries as well as pick up a few deals that they had.

I got 8 cans of Del Monte tomatoes, 2 jars of Classico Sauce, 4 boxes of Healthy Harvest whole wheat pasta, Oscar Meyer Turkey bacon, 4lbs chicken breast tenders, 4 bags of SteamFresh veggies, 4 packages of Kraft cheese, a gallon of milk, cole slaw salad mix, 4 lbs ground beef, 4 lbs of bananas, 6 Powerade drinks, and 4 pouches of tuna.

Grand Total: $23.89

Today I stopped by CVS. As you can tell from the picture I got the following:

Schick Quattro razors
Schick Xtreme razors
Dove soap
Colgate Total toothpaste
Crest Pro-Health toothpaste

Regular price for all of these would have been $29.44

I paid $0.28 and have $6 in EBC's to use on my next trip. So in essence, I made $5.72

Joys of Texas Weather

2010-03-24T13:51:00.002-05:00

Friday I was wearing shorts, flip flops, and a t-shirt.

Flash Forward 24 hours... this was my view

Good 'ole Texas weather. If you don't like it, stick around 5 minutes because it will change.

Weekly deals

2010-03-10T14:14:00.002-06:00

I think I'll make it a habit to post my weekly deals (or at least try to). Today it was CVS that paid me to shop. Here are my goods:

Pantene on sale 2/$6.97 plus $2 EBC's bringing it to 2/$4.97
Oral-B crossaction toothbrush is on sale for $4.00 plus $4 EBC's making it free

I had a $3 off coupon on the purchase of 2 Pantene products making my final price 2/$1.97

I also had a $0.75 coupon on the Oral-B crossaction toothbrush (even though it was free!)

I had $5 in EBC's from two weeks ago. My total out of pocket today was $2.44, but now I have $6 in EBC's for my next trip. So in essence, I made $3.56 shopping today.

Freebies

2010-03-02T16:35:00.004-06:00

Shout out to Walgreens for paying me to shop at your store today. Here's what I got today!

I had $5 of Register Rewards to Walgreens for previous purchases and had to cash in today or they would expire. In my quest for frugality, I found that Walgreens had Intuition razors on sale for $8.99 plus you get $3 Register Reward Coupon bringing the price down to $5.99. Luckily for me this weekends paper had a $4 coupon off Intuition razors knocking the price down to $1.99. Walgreens also had Dentyne gum on sale for $0.69 and I had a coupon for $1.00 off the purchase of two individual packs.

With tax and everything my total was $5.81. I used my $5 register rewards and only paid $0.81 out of my pocket. However, I now have a $3 Register Reward so really Walgreens paid me $2.19 to shop at their store today.

I'll be stopping by CVS on my way home, where my deals will be even better ;-)

El Cheapo...

2010-02-21T18:22:00.003-06:00

I'm a self-described penny pincher.. I'm not cheap, I just prefer to save my money instead of spending it. Alan calls me a jew but I prefer to call myself frugal.

A few months back I started doing the grocery game as a way to cut back on our spending. I love to get a bargain, and even better if it's free!

I can't save on everything I purchase because we eat pretty healthy. When I find chicken breat on sale for less than $2.00/lb I stock up and purchase about 20 lbs. But for the rest of our groceries/paper products/toiletries, I like to use my coupons and save save save.

Here's the goodies I got on my shopping trip today!

As you can see in the picture I got 2 bottles of Purex laundry detergent, 2 Tropicana orange juice, Sarah Lee soft & smooth whole grain bread, Schick intuition razor, Colgage Max-strips toothpaste, and two Old Spice deodorants.

My final purchase prices for all of these: $7.39

Gotta love that!

Slacker

2010-01-25T11:45:00.002-06:00

I've been such a slacker with updating my blog lately.

Things have just been so chaotic since getting back from California, I've not really had a chance to breathe. We are alive kicking. Cannot believe it's 2010 already. It does not seem possible that Y2K was 10 years ago! Oh my!

Christmastime is Here

2009-12-11T17:59:00.000-06:00

Can't believe Christmas is here already.

I'll be in California with my family this year. I havn't spent Christmas with them in over six years, so its definitely time to be out there. I'll actually be there for almost two weeks for some stuff, so it'll be nice to get a little California sunshie.

Black Friday

2009-11-27T11:34:00.000-06:00

Who on earth decided that it would be a good idea to get up at 4:30am and work today?

I am beat. I typically do all of my Christmas shopping on BF, but this year I've decided to make money instead of spend it all. It truly wasn't that chaotic, things went pretty smoothly as the store was set up pretty well with a good flow. We also had a gazillion staff on hand, so things were very smooth.

Today's hot items at the big orange box? 99 cent poinsettias, $20 shop vac, and $99 patio heater. Amazing deals, I would have loved to buy each of them.

Happy Turkey Day

2009-11-26T07:15:00.000-06:00

It's a crazy busy day for me as I am hosting Turkey Day this year. Went to bed at 4am after cooking all night and am up already, with coffee in hand, about to put the bird in the oven.

I got a 20lb bird at Kroger for less than $6, how do you like them apples! Gotta love a good deal!

May you and your famiy have a wonderful and amazing Thanksgiving!

Sweet Tomato's

2009-11-16T09:26:00.002-06:00

Can I just say that this is my FAVORITE place to eat!

Fresh, fast, healthy, and OH so yummy!!

Won Ton Chicken Happiness... I heart you. But what I love even more is coupons!! Woohooo.. I you eat at Sweet Tomato's (of for my Cali friends Souplantation) you gotta sign up for the coupons!

Mmmmm BBQ

2009-11-13T14:12:00.002-06:00

T minus 3 days and I'll be enjoying some of the best BBQ the state of Texas has to offer. Yum yum. Can't wait.

I'll be making my annual trek to Austin for a work conference for the week. I need a break from life, so it'll be good to get away even though I'll be working and in seminars the entire time. But the change of scenery, break from the big orange box, and a weeks stay in a nice hotel are easy trades for me.

I've been so incredibly busy lately with working two jobs and life, that I've really not had time for anything, including blogging. So some highlights over the past month or so:

- I competed in the HD CAM Olympics a few Sundays ago. We didn't win anything but it was fun and A was able to join us and cheer us on.
- A has been job hunting as his job is, more than likely, coming to an end. He has some very promising leads so we're hopeful
- Our house is still not complete, or even anywhere near completion. We filed paperwork with to cancel the sale and are currently searching for a pre-existing home.
- We are both completely content with not purchasing the home. As home prices are falling, we've found that we were going to be paying much more than the home was worth anyway (like 20K more)

Oops... I'm a little overdue

2009-10-21T13:01:00.002-05:00

I've not had a chance to post much as of late, due to life just being crazy hectic.

We spent some time in California in early September. It was a very short trip, but it was good to see my family and friends that I hadn't seen in forever long. I'm trying to make plans to head back out at Christmas/New Years for about a week or so. We'll see if that works out.

The house is slowly coming along. I'm very nervous that we won't hit our Nov 30 deadline as they still have a TON of work to do. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I'm still at the big orange box part time. Love it there! Alan is still at Macy's and not loving it (but as I say it's a job in this horrible economy and it pays the bills). Mary, Alan's mom, is back living here in Texas now. Trojan the psycho kitty, is still psycho.

Our most exciting news: we got a new bed. I LOVE it! So incredibly comfortable and I've actually been able to sleep. It's amazing the difference a bed can make.

Making progress

2009-08-27T16:29:00.006-05:00

Life is still going. I've been overwhelmed with our internal audit going on right now and working my p/t job. I need a vacation. BAD.

We've made quite a bit of progress on the house. Last week it looked like this:

And then....

last night Alan and I drove by on our way to the Allen Outlets to meet a friend, which much to our surprise, we found this:

We're starting to get excited about it, and very nervous that it won't make our deadline. Alan spoke with our sales agent for the builder today and she said that we're on schedule to close on November 30th. Not a day sooner, not a day later. Which really freaks me out. We have a Nov 30 deadline that we have to close by, so it's cutting it way too close for my comfort. We'll see what happens.

Work, and work, and work

2009-08-17T14:10:00.002-05:00

That pretty much sums my life up over the past month or so. I've started a part-time gig working a few week nights and weekends at the local HD. Needless to say, my life is consumed by working right now. Thankfully, it is only temporary and in a few months, I'll have my life back. Yahooo!!

Still don't have any new news on the homefront. We signed papers on our house about 3 months ago, and we still do not have a foundation poured. I'm getting a little more than frustrated at this point. I was told that building and permit approvals from the City were granted the first week of July. So, it's been a month an a half and NOTHING. NOTHING!! Which means one of two things 1. Our house will not be ready by our Nov 30 deadline or 2. They will speed through things and thus not put as much time and quality into the building of our home. It's VERY frustrating. Purchasing your first home should not be this frustrating. We have been seriously contemplating backing out. We're going to give it one more month to see what progress has been made before making any decisions.

35 Days!!!

2009-07-31T15:58:00.001-05:00

Not that I'm counting or anything

We're an Auntie and Uncle again

2009-07-29T12:58:00.002-05:00

Alan's brother and his wife had their little girl yesterday evening. She is a precious little bundle of joy. That makes two nieces we have now.

Not sure when we'll get back out to Maryland to see her (we just got back last week), but hopefully it will be soon.

In other news: the house is coming along. I've started a part time job in the evenings and weekends to help offset some of the costs we'll have with the house. Woohooo 4 months to go.

Time after time

2009-07-07T20:49:00.002-05:00

It seems that time is just flying by lately. I cannot believe that it is July 7th already. How have we zipped through half of 2009 already?? I'm just amazed.

The craziest is that my niece is almost a year old. How can that be? I've only seen her twice, so she isn't even going to know who I am. But holy moly, she is almost a year old already. Alan and I have been married over a year. We met 3 years ago. It seems that the older I get, the time just flies by that much quicker.

Here is a pic of my niece at her very first Angels game (teaching her young to be an Angel fan). This is actually of her seeing the fireworks for the first time. How fun!

Building a Dream

2009-06-22T13:10:00.003-05:00

Well, technically it is not our dream house, but nonetheless it is still sort of a dream that we are building our first home. I could not be more excited (and scared to death at the same time). This is a HUGE purchase and a HUGE step in our marriage. Buying our first house. Wow. It still seems crazy to me that we are doing this and in 5 months, this will be our home. I'll try to update every week or so here as to the building progess.

Currently we are on hold until we get the building permits and approvals from the city of McKinney. Once those are all approved then, we'll see some ground break. How fun!

This is the model of basically what our home will look like

And this is where our home will be!

You Scare Me

2009-06-09T12:05:00.002-05:00

Saw this on a chat forum that I frequent, then it was also e-mailed to me today and just thought I would share.

In case you don't know who Lou Pritchett is, he is the former VP of Proctor & Gamble and author of the book Stop Paddling & Rock the Boat

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

By Lou Pritchett

Dear President Obama:

You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me.

You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.

You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.

You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American.

You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.

You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't understand it at its core.

You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others.

You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail.

You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the 'blame America' crowd and deliver this message abroad.

You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.

You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one.

You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.

You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world.

You scare me because you have begun to use 'extortion' tactics against certain banks and corporations.

You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.

You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people.

You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient.

You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.

You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O'Relllys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view.

You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.

Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.

Lou Pritchett

Thankful Thursday

2009-05-28T15:52:00.003-05:00

(Yes, I know that I have REALLY been lagging on this the past several months)

Today I'm thankful for Sprouts grocery stores. You see, back home in California we have these amazing little markets called Trader Joes. They are the absolute positive BEST place to fulfill your grocerying (if that's a word)needs. If you've never stepped foot in a TJ's before, oh you are missing out on the finer things in life.

Alas, we don't have them in good 'ole Tejas (and no, we don't have piggly wiggly either). BUT, we do have Sprouts. Oh ye little restorer of faith Sprouts. Not exactly TJ's but pretty darn close! I currently have about 20 lbs of fresh chicken breast in my freezer from Sprouts and mounds and mounds of fresh organic fruits, veggies, and nuts. I'm not sold on their organic dairy products yet, but I'm sure I'll come around to it at some point.

Occasionally, I'll even be daring and splurge on some beef roast or sirloin steak (we don't eat red meat that often) from time to time. Mmm mmm mmm. Love me some Sprouts.

One Year Ago Today

2009-05-22T11:08:00.003-05:00

Oh homebuying

2009-05-20T15:43:00.003-05:00

Why must ye be such a pain in the rear? I'm sure the two tree's that I destroyed for this paperwork would have much rather still be living out in the wild blue yonder somewhere.

Oh joy. So we are in the process of attempting to purchase a home. With how difficult it is to get a home loan right now, we're just crossing our fingers and hope we get through.

It will be so nice to not worry about Alan stomping around (we live on 2nd floor) or for the surround sound to be blasting at 1am whilst watching Paul Blart Mall Cop. Most of all, it will be nice to be putting money back into something we own and into our own pockets instead of someone else's.

Here's to you Lulu!

2009-05-16T16:18:00.002-05:00

I had the honor of attending my dear friend Ericka's Celebration of Life service yesterday. Ericka was one of those people that come into your life for such a short time yes has a profound impact on you. Ericka lived her life to the fullest. She loved every minute of it and filled it with love, joy, grace, and peace even despite her battle with Cancer. She lived her life how life should be lived. Her short 30 years on this earth was lived more abundantly than most and she is an inspiration to all. The love that she had for her husband and her small children was an example to us all of how we are to love each other.

Here's to you Lulu my dear friend. It was an honor to be called your friend and to have even known you. You have showed me how my life should be lived with the same joy, love, and grace that you lived yours. My heart is broken knowing that I'll never have another night of dancing at Loft, drinks on the patio, or 80's hair so high it registers on the FAA radar map, but the simple fact of knowing that you are in heaven with our Heavenly Father rejoicing in His presence with a renewed healthy body brings comfort to me. I am a better person today by simply knowing you. I love you my friend and I cannot wait to see you again, sporting your Halloween costume, in Heaven.

Attack of the Swine

2009-04-30T12:48:00.002-05:00

I know there are some people out there, eh hum my own hubby, that thinks I'm crazy for not taking this "Swine Flu Pandemic" seriously. But really, every single report that I read show that their are more deaths from the regular flu, than have died as a result of the swine. The numbers that Mainstream Media has reported are WELL overinflated.

Really, I am just chaulking this entire thing up to mass hysteria by the media. I honestly could not careless about it! Sure, I've been washing my hands more and paying attention to those around me, but really what more can you do? Why do people freak out?? It's soo lame!

So far, there are a few entire school districts that have closed school until May 8th at the earliest. Another school about a mile from my office is closed until the same time. I mean really come on? People need to stop freaking out!

11 Months and counting

2009-04-23T10:30:00.003-05:00

Yesterday marked our 11th month of happily wedded bliss. It's so hard to believe that the time has passed by this quickly.

As I reflected on the past year last night, I quickly realized that we have certainly been tested through our first 11 months. So much has gone on in our personal lives, professional lives, and with family.

I guess it remains true that the first year is definitely the worst. Which means, things can only get better from here! Yay!!!

In other news, the Frederick News Post ran a story about my Mother in Law and her battle with cancer. It was a lovely story about a local cosmetology school that provides a "Look Good... Feel Better" program for cancer patients. It was a pretty neat article. She will actually be traveling back here in Saturday to spend a few weeks with us between chemo treatments.

One is the loneliest number

2009-04-08T15:38:00.002-05:00

Am I the ONLY person is this country that absolutely positively cannot stand Adam Lambert on American Idol?

He is a broadway singer/actor not a pop star. He's screeching each week leaves my brain shaking in its skull. His performance of "Mad World" last night (which btw is one of my favorite songs) was good in parts until he started his screeching, then he lost me.

I do realize that I just need to get a grasp of the fact that he's almost assured the win this season, since America has a love affair with him.

I think A.I. has officially jumped the shark (not that it didnt a few seasons ago)

30 for 30

2009-03-30T11:19:00.002-05:00

In honor of my 30th birthday last week, I decided to do a list of my top 30 favorite songs of the last 30 years. Got this idea from someone else and loved it! So here goes:

'79: Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd
'80: You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC
'81: I Love Rock N Roll by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
'82: Come on Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners
'83: Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper
'84: The Boys of Summer by Don Henley
'85: Kyrie by Mr. Mister
'86: Fight for Your Right by Beastie Boys
'87: With or Without You by U2
'88:
'89: Rockin' in the Free World by Neil Young
'90: Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode
'91: TIE Jeremy by Pearl Jam and November Rain by Guns N' Roses
'92: Tennessee by Arrested Developement
'93: Today by Smashing Pumpkins
'94: Sabotage by Beastie Boys
'95: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins
'96: Crash into Me by Dave Matthews Band
'97: Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve
'98: TIE One Week by Barenaked Ladies and Hard Knock Life by Jay Z (shocker I know)
'99: Scar Tissue by Red Hot Chili Peppers
'00: South Side by Moby f/Gwen Stefani
'01: TIE Island in the Sun by Weezer and Middle by Jimmy Eat World
'02: No Such Thing by John Mayer
'03: Clock by Coldplay
'04: Float On by Modest Mouse
'05: Fix You by Coldplay
'06: Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
'07: Stolen by Dashboard Confessional
'08: If I Had Eyes by Jack Johnson
'09: Dead and Gone by TI F/Justin Timberlake (shocker again I know)

I will try.. to fix you

2009-02-27T16:52:00.002-06:00

I know that I certainly do not have the power to heal or fix people, however I know that our Heavenly Father does.

So if you think of it, please please please say a prayer for our family, specifically Alan and his mom Mary. We got the latest results back from her doctors today.

They have only given her two months to live. In a last ditch effort, they will attempt chemo starting next week to see if they can weekend the progression of it, but are not too hopeful in the success of it.

As you can imagine, its very difficult for Alan as well as his brothers. Certainly not the news that we were wanting or expecting.

Look at the stars... Look how they shine for you

2009-02-13T11:02:00.002-06:00

And all the things you do Yeah, they were all yellow...

Oh yeah! Bought presale tix today as part of Alan's Valentine's gift. We'll be seeing Coldplay on July 21st.

Soo totally excited and cannot wait!!

Follow-up

2009-02-02T15:17:00.002-06:00

Thought I'd just give a quick follow-up to my post last week.

Without going into many details, during our trip to DC we spent most of our time in the hospital with Alan's mom (not me for once!).

Through the course of a few days, she was diagnosed with Stage 3b Lung Cancer. She had to undergo a surgery to repair damage to the lining of her lung caused by the cancer and to remove the fluid that has built up in her lung. Once she is completely healed and recovered from that surgery she will begin Chemo/Radiation.

So please continue to keep our family in your prayers, specifically Alan. Much love.

Say a little Prayer

2009-01-29T10:53:00.001-06:00

If you think about, would you say a little prayer for our family?

We are going through some pretty tough stuff and some very difficult decisions right now.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Introducing... Lady Trojan

2009-01-13T11:45:00.002-06:00

So through a series of events over Christmas, we ended up with a new little kitty. And boy does she have a personality. I must admit that I am not a cat person AT ALL. But she has certainly grown on me. We'll see how the coming weeks go.

Sicky sick

2008-12-22T15:37:00.002-06:00

The one thing I hate about this time of year, is that I always get sick and due to treatments my immune system has been severly compromised. So guess what? I've been sick. Really sick. I'll get better, then I'll just turn around and get sick again. I'm sitting here working with a temp of 101 and a nasty ear infection. Joyous!

However, that has left me with time to do crafts and fun things. So I made many Christmas gifts this year. (Those of you who are family members, pretend you never saw this when you open your gift) I made these coasters. Pretty easy and REALLY fun to do! I put them in sets of 4 and tied some cute ribbon around them.

Yo Vanilla.. kick it one time boy

2008-12-16T15:24:00.002-06:00

Today's theme... ICE... so the Vanilla Ice title seemed appropriate.

My previous post was about the crazy Texas weather. Well, guess what? I've waited more than 5 minutes and it hasn't changed yet! Those dang Texans lied to me!

The weather is still frigid, well below freezing 27 at 3:30pm. I sat and watched the sleet and ice blow in last night thinking it would be fine by today. Nope.

I sat around this morning waiting for the streets to clear of said ice so I could drive to work. Nope still didn't clear.

HELLO!!!! Mr Weatherman, this nasty ice stuff was only suppose to last for 5 minutes! Bring back the sun.

My poor little car tried to become the next Michelle Kwan this morning on my drive in. However, I quickly learned that my little Fusion is not aptly equipped for ice skating. Thankfully it only has a few bumps and bruises.

Weatherman? We don't need no stinkin weatherman

2008-12-12T12:16:00.002-06:00

Not like they are ever right anyways! When I moved here to the Dallas area from warm, sunny, amazing Southern California, I was told that if I didn't like the weather to just stick around for about 5 minutes and it will change. At the time I kind of just laughed and shrugged it off.

Fast forward 7 1/2 years. Really... if you don't like the weather stick around cause it will change in 5 minutes. Case in point: This weeks weather. It went something like this

Monday- high 70's
Monday night- Severe Thunderstorms/Tornado warning (gotta love those sirens)

Tuesday- high 50's
Tuesday night- wintery mix of sleet and snow

So in less than a day you go from Tornado's to Snow.. Only in Texas

UBT Update

2008-12-03T15:45:00.001-06:00

Well, its officially been a little over a month since starting back on my Ultimate-Body transformation #2.

To this point, I've dropped about 1.33% body fat and about 10lbs, give or take. This time around is a little slow of progress due to ongoing health issues and still taking prednisone. So after I'm off that, then it should kick in to full gear and go much quicker.

I absolutely LOVE the program and love the changes my body is already taking. I have more energy and overall just feel so much better.

On my way back to a new ME!

Out with the old.. in with the new

2008-11-23T19:40:00.004-06:00

I've come to realize over the past few weeks, since my post about just not fitting in, that I needed to make some adjustments in my life. Through a series of events I've learned that life is much too precious to care what people think of me or try to mold myself into someone that fits in.

I love my life. I love my husband. I love that I live in an apartment. I love that I drive a sedan and not a big honkin SUV. I LOVE my job!! I LOVE what I do for a living. I love that I dont wear name brand clothing. I love that I am down to earth and don't care how much money anyone makes. I love that I make dinner at home. I love that Alan and I don't eat at fancy smancy restaurants. I love that my home is a home that is to be lived in and not fancy that you can't touch anything. I love my family. I love California. I love my USC Trojans. I love the fact that I am ultra-conservative. I love the Lord. I love that I have an open heart to love and accept all despite their differences to me.

This is who I am. Take it or leave it! I am who I am and I'm not changing that for anyone or anything!

Guess what time it is??

2008-11-13T10:12:00.002-06:00

It's your weekly installment of Thankful Thursday!

Today, I wish to give tribute to Burt's Bees. Oh the glorious little yellow tube of pure bliss on my lips. Oh the soothing, cooling feeling with a peppermint tingle when I apply the tube of wax to my lips. Every time I apply the chapstick, my lips scream with bursts of joy for I have replenished their beauty, moisture, and softness.

I guess you could call me an addict. Hello, my name is Heather and I'm a Burt's Bees chapstick addict. They even have a new one out with Pomegranate in it. (although I still prefer my regular Beeswax Lip Balm)

I keep one in my purse, one in my desk, one in my car, one in my gym bag, one in my softball bag, and one at home. Thus making sure I have all my bases covered and have my Burts at the tip of my fingers all the time.

So here's to you Mr. Burt's Bees chapstick maker!

Sweatin the oldies

2008-11-13T10:02:00.002-06:00

I've come to the close of 4 weeks in the program. While I'm going at a slower pace than I'd like, I'm still making progress.

To date, I've lost 8 lbs and about 1.43% body fat. The biggest change though is in my toning and strength. I just love love love working out!

and yes I am still thankful for Joseph and Wayne as well!

Pumpkin Princess

2008-11-10T12:43:00.002-06:00

I'm not going to deny that I am a proud Auntie. Although, I don't ever get to see my little niece (and umm my family eh hum always forgets to send me pics of her) I just love her to pieces and love to brag about her.

So here she is, in all of her Orange Pumpkin Princess delight.

Thankful Thursday

2008-11-06T15:39:00.001-06:00

Welcome to another episode of Thankful Thursday.

Today I am thankful for one of my trainers Joseph (albeit said in jest). If it weren't for dear Joseph my body would not feel like I've been hit by a freight train today. And if it weren't for Joseph I'd not be able to submit a video to America's Funniest Home Video's and win $10,000 for my rendition of bicycle crunches.

So here's to you Joseph!! and the million more crunches you'll be making me do.

Thankful Thursday

2008-10-30T14:42:00.002-05:00

I hoping to start a new tradition here in my own little world. A segment I like to call, Thankful Thursday. I guess it doesn't really take a rocket scientist to figure out what its about.

Today, I am thankful for an amazing mom. She is the most amazing and resilient person I have ever met in my life. I am thankful for the support she provides, the love, the care, and the overall sense of security that she brings.

Work it out

2008-10-22T13:11:00.004-05:00

Well, after finally getting some goods news from the doctor I have resumed my workouts at Ron Lyon's Ultimate Body studio . I never thought the day would come, but it has!

I am absolutely thrilled to be back in the program as the last time I was in it, I had amazing results that can be seen here .

Already, I see a vast difference in my energy levels and overall health. I'll be posting weekly updates from now on on my progress here so feel free to follow along wtih me on my journey as I battle the bulge once again!

Just doesn't fit

2008-09-10T12:35:00.002-05:00

You ever feel like you just don't fit in?

I guess that is typically a sure sign that its time to change your life up a bit, correct? If so, then I guess it's time to change things up a bit. Work is amazing, so nothing will change there!

Outside of work, I just don't feel like I fit in anywhere. It's really left me struggling with stuff lately and wondering what I've done.

The Wedding

2008-09-06T00:55:00.005-05:00

It's only been 3 months so I finally decided to tell about the wedding. I'm a slacker, yes I know.

The wedding was absolutely amazing. It was truly a dream wedding. I honestly could not have asked for a more beautifuly perfect day.

I didn't really do anything the night before but just spend the evening with my parents at their house and went to bed relatively early that night. The day of my mom and I started the morning with a trip to pick up the flowers since I decided that I wanted to do the bouquets myself (they turned out gorgeous btw). After that it was off to get our hair and makeup done. We had a flew glitches through the morning and a few setbacks, one of which it rained all morning. I'm not talking your typical SoCal sprinkles. It poured! Makeup got a little runny as did our hair, but we were fine. We loaded up the rental van and headed to the hotel in Newport Beach. Upon arrival at the hotel the girls and I as well as my mom and grandma go ready in my parents hotel room. It was pretty crammed so things got a little testy as we were all trying to get dressed. But we managed.

Alan and I decided that we were going to take some pictures before the wedding so that we could take them up at a park on the bluff overlooking Newport Beach and the harbor. The rain put a little damper on our plans though. We decided to just go ahead and take a few pictures at the hotel instead. So we did all that then headed over to the yacht club to board the yacht. Of course as soon as we pull up, it started pouring yet again so I made a mad dash to the yacht to not ruin my hair or makeup any more.

Before I knew it the time had come to walk down the isle. I was perfectly cool, calm, and collected and was so excited to go see my groom at the altar. I started my climb up the stairs to the top deck, where my dad was waiting at the top. The moment I got to him, I saw Alan. He was standing at the altar, grinning from ear to ear with tears rolling down his face. It was at that point that I lost it! So I made my big walk down the isle in tears and trying to hold back tears. What a dork! It has rained and poured the entire time I was on the yacht waiting for the ceremony to start. The moment I started walking down the isle the sun came out!

The ceremony was awesome. Very short and quick and to the point. We shared the traditional wedding vows, as we both feel they are very sacred. Our moms joined us for a unity sand ceremony (I absolutely love the idea of a sand ceremony). The guys played a little prank when they were handing over the rings, all orchestrated by my little brother. Then "the kiss"! We were now Mr. and Mrs. Arad!!!

The reception was absolutely gorgeous! The tables were perfect. The cake turned out better than how I designed it and the cake topper that slaved for hours on turned out perfect! The candy buffet was by far my favorite! Everything was just absolutely amazing. We finished the night dancing away and enjoying time with our family and friends, many of which traveled great distances to celebrate with us. It was just simply amazing. I am so blessed to have parents that were so gracious to make my wedding a fairy tale. I owe everything to my mom who worked day and night for months to allow it all to happen. I am so blessed with, by far, the most amazing mom on the planet.

Week of joy and sorrows

2008-08-14T12:09:00.003-05:00

Life sometimes has a funny way of throwing a curve ball at you. Suffice to say, this has been a week of great sorrows as well as great joys for our family.

On monday night my grandma passed away in my parents home. Though we will miss her, she is no longer captive in her ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) stricken body and she walks with Jesus and loved ones who went before her.

Then last night, my niece (named after my grandma) Kenadi Mae was born a healthy 7lbs 11oz. She is just absolutely precious. I am flying home this evening for funeral services and cannot wait to meet her!

So just as quickly as we lose one life, another precious life was added to our family. What a blessing.

Dirty Good

2008-07-23T14:26:00.001-05:00

Being that I live in the south, and yes Texas is the south, the people here like to pride themselves on good old southern fried meals. Mind you, I have no problems indulging myself in a good southern fried meal every once in a while, I just usually have to be in the mood. Boy, have I been in the mood. I’ve been craving a good home cooked southern meal.

So today, our office went to lunch to say goodbye to one of own that will be leaving us to go off to the corporate world. As is tradition, he was able to choose where we went. To my abundant joy, he chose Babe’s and my mouth immediately began to water.

For those of you that don’t live here in the Dallas area, imagine the best southern home cooked fried meal you’ve ever had in your life. Now multiply that by about 10 and you have Babe’s. Mmm mmm mmm it is dirty good. So dirty good that even now a few hours after my meal has been complete I still feel as though I should go shower and take a swift walk to downtown Dallas and back a few times.

I ordered the best darn Chicken Fried Steak you will ever have. In Babe’s tradition it came with their salad, fresh baked biscuits, and endless sides of cream corn, green beans, mashed tators, and gravy. I’d say in all I consumed about 3,323 calories, 325 grams of fat, and 756 grams of carbs.

But every last morsel of it was so worth it! If you haven’t been to the new Babe’s in Frisco, you must go!

R.I.P. Willy

2008-07-11T11:19:00.002-05:00

Willy will be laid to rest today in Brea, CA. Willy's family became part of our family shortly after he and my brother began playing hockey together several years ago.

A little Tuesday Funny

2008-07-01T10:49:00.002-05:00

WARNING... may contain language that is meant for a mature audience.

$3.86

2008-06-17T16:06:00.002-05:00

You know its a sad day when I am totally excited about only paying $3.86/gallon for gas. On our honeymoon in California, we were paying almost $4.30/gallon. What on earth?

I remember back in the day when I first starting driving. I would get a $10 per week gas allowance. That would pretty much fill up my tank and last the entire week, as I was paying about $0.89/gallon. Anytime it would get close to $1.00 I would cut back on my driving so that I didn't have to dip into my other allowance or savings money. $1.00 I would freak out if gas was getting close to $1.00! How crazy is that.

I remember also when I first moved here to Texas, 7 years ago, that gas was only $1.15. My mom was so amazed that she actually took a picture of the sign at the gas station that said $1.15. My have times changed!

I'm a married woman

2008-06-01T20:24:00.001-05:00

9 days and counting! Woohooo

The wedding was absolutely perfect and went off without a hitch, minus the rain (but it wasn't a big deal).

More details to come. I have to get back to packing since I am moving this week.

Stressed

2008-05-03T18:16:00.002-05:00

Ok so I leave for Cali in 13 days from today for my wedding. I still have a list of things that I need to finish for the wedding. On top of that, I must finish packing my apartment as Alan and I will be moving into our first apartment together as soon as we return to town. I also must still figure out what I am going to do with Gizmo. It's at times like this that you realize how expensive pets are! LOL

We've finalized our honeymoon plans. We're going to San Fransciso!!! Woohooo I'm so excited. I havn't been there in like 10 years so I can't wait. We are going to spend the first two nights at the brand new Intercontinental Hotel then head down to Monterey, Big Sur, and Pebble Beach for the remainder of the week. Alan's never been to Northern California, so it will be fun to take him there for the first time! YEAH!!

Time flies... when you're havin fun

2008-03-21T14:04:00.002-05:00

Or so they say!

We are officially at 61 days until the wedding. Things are coming together and its approaching much quicker than I anticipated. YIKES! It will be here before we know it.

Nothing much going on right now. I'm going to be an Auntie to a little niece! YEAH!! Its much more fun to shop for girls than it is to shop for boys.

Trying to decide on a honeymoon. So if you have any ideas, please let me know!!

Election Time

2008-02-20T22:58:00.002-06:00

So who do you vote for? This is the dilemna I am facing each and every day. Who on earth DO I vote for?

Do I give up my values and morals and vote for someone that goes against many of the things I hold true to? Or... do I vote for someone with whom I do not believe would be a great leader for this country? Or... do I vote for someone simply to vote?

What do you do? Hopefully it will all become clear, but man is it ever frustrating.

Less than 4 months!!!

2008-02-03T22:32:00.000-06:00

We're officially down to less than 4 months to go til Wedding Day. 3 Months and 19 days to be exact. I am thoroughly excited and cannot wait! We're getting down to the wire now, so there are so many details that need to be taken care of. In the meantime I've purchased a few books so that we can read and start our marriage off focused on the Lord. I got "Boundaries in Marriage," "Before You Say I Do," "Great Expectations: A guide to your first year of marriage," and "The Complete Book of Parenting and Child Care."

The latter is due to the immense pressure we are under to have children very soon after our marriage. While we're not getting any younger and the fact that most of our friends currently having children, everyone is telling us to have kids. While I would prefer to enjoy my marriage for a few years, we've decided that we'll just leave it all to God's timing.

I thought that with the latest news of my brother and his girlfriend expecting a child in August, I figured the pressure would be off of us, but of course not. But like I said, we are going to leave it all up to the Lord.

Welcome to 2008

2008-01-04T12:36:00.000-06:00

So its been a while I apologize for not updating this thing in quite some time. Anywho, I cannot believe its 2008 already. So to the start of a new year, I thought I would reflect on the events that took place in 2007. Despite some hardships, I was definitely blessed!

My year in review:

Rang the new year in with Alan after working my typical gazillion hours on NYE at IFL, started New Years off on the right foot with an awesome USC Rose Bowl win (go Trojans), started working part time for my friend Gus in his Optical office, then hobbled through Jan and Feb escorting myself from doctor to doctor (oh boy), spent Valentines day home along because Alan had to work, beginning of March had to fly home unexpectantly due to my grandfather having a heart attack and undergoing 6 bypass surgery, flew home, two days later my grandfather passed away, Alan and I flew back to Cali for my grandfathers funeral, was able to spend my birthday with my family and Alan (ala Black Angus) after burying my grandfather earlier in the day, April was pretty uneventful for the most part, May got laid off from my job of over 6 years at IFL (which turns out to be the best thing that has ever happened to me), started working full time for my friend Gus while I was searching for a new job, WENT INTO REMISSION- MY TUMOR WAS GONE, got engaged on the very same day, flew back and forth to Cali several times as I was interviewing for a job at the City of Fullerton, interviewed for a few jobs here in August (one of which I really really really wanted), flew back to Cali one last time for placement test in September, went back to for a series of tests and another interview at the job that I really really really wanted, then in October I got a call on the same day (within 10 minutes of each other) being offered the job I really really really wanted and the job in Cali. Took the job here that I really really really wanted (With a HUGE thank you to my good friend Raquel), got a puppy (Gizmo) with whom I affectionately call Devil Dog, my mom came out for a long weekend to visit, ordered my wedding dress (YEAH), started my new job (which I absolutely positively LOVE), finished 3rd in the summer softball league, celebrated Thanksgiving with some amazing friends here, my house got broken into (boo-hoo), celebrated Christmas with just Alan, myself, and Gizmo (it was nice though), and finally watched the Redskins devour the Cowgirls to make it to the playoffs!

And that my friends was the year 2007 in Heather's life. Oh and just so you can see a pic of Devil Dog himself, I'm including that below (if I could get him to keep his horns on so I can take a picture I will)

I'm a mommy

2007-10-26T13:09:00.000-05:00

Well not exactly a mom, but we got a puppy! He's a little hellion, but he is a cute little hellion. His favorite food is power chords. Specifically cell phone charger power cords. He just loves eating them, even when they are plugged in. Apparently he gets a kick out of the little jolt to his little body gets. We've also found that he is nocturnal. So, needless to say its put a damper on our sleeping habits as of late. As my mom said last night, "that's the good thing about having a puppy, because they make you not want to have kids."

Speaking of which, my mom is in town for the weekend for a wedding planning/gown fitting trip. I'm excited she is here and glad to be able to spend some time with her.

I think I'm gonna vomit now...

2007-10-06T21:48:00.000-05:00

Stanford.. the tree huggers... seriously... seriously... I'm speechless

It's set... May 22nd

2007-09-26T23:11:00.000-05:00

I now pronounce you, husband and wife....

Goin to the Chapel...

2007-09-16T16:24:00.000-05:00

And we're gonna get married. Goin to the chapel of love. Well, not exactly. But we have finalized wedding plans and are going to be putting a deposit down on the location. It's not your typical wedding spot or location, but it's awesome and it fits us extremely well. We are doing the wedding in California and wanted to have something that was unique to California and gave guests, most of which are coming from out of town, a taste of California culture. So we are getting married on a private yacht in the Newport Beach Harbor. http://www.cynb.com/yachts-icon.htm The yacht we will be getting married on is the Icon. It's a gorgeous vessel with so much beauty and character. I'm sooo excited and can't wait!!! Yippee!!!!

Goin Goin Back Back to Cali Cali

2007-09-06T21:34:00.000-05:00

Heading back out to Cali again for another Interview with the City of Fullerton. We'll see how it goes. My mom and I are going to spend a day looking at wedding locations and sites as well so it will be a VERY productive trip. Wish me luck!

I am McLovin

2007-08-19T14:47:00.000-05:00

So Alan and I went to see the new movie "Superbad" last night. I have to say that it was hysterically funny! We laughed through much of the film and thoroughly enjoyed it. It contains much of the same humor as Porky's, American Pie, and Old School. There are many scenes where the entire crowd erupted in laugher, which prevented from hearing the next lines, but thats all part of the experience. The film did seem that it dragged on a bit towards the end. I think it was about a 2 hour film. If they had cut it down to about an hour and a half it would have been perfect. On a scale of 1-5 stars, I would have to give it 4 stars.

My wants...

2007-08-14T20:21:00.000-05:00

I've really been thinking lately about my list of things to do before I die. I really need to get working on them. So here they are... in no particular order. Heaven forbid this brain tumor doesnt kill me soon, there are many things I'd like to do.

Visit South Africa
Have a baby
Visit Australia
Sing back-up for a major recording artist
Go camping in Mammoth with my family again
Go camping on the beach
Go back to Sedona, AZ
Go to the Summer Olympics
Visit Tahiti
Get married on the beach
Honeymoon in Paradise
Learn how to drive a stick-shift
Teach English in China again
Take a trip to China, Taiwan, and Europe with my mom
Carve my initials in a rock at the top of Bridalveil Falls in Yosemite

I'm sure as I continue to think, I'll be adding more to the list. So stay tuned. Right now, my biggest thing that I'd like to do is make the final decisions for my wedding. We really really really need to figure out where we want to get married and where the reception is going to be. I'm kind of leaning toward home, but I'd also love to do it in the DC area. Ugghghg Maybe I'll just put some places in a hat and draw one out. Haha

Just a day... just an ordinary day

2007-08-11T22:15:00.000-05:00

Well, I'd have to say that my life is anything but ordinary. The past couple months have sure been a whirlwind. I'll give a quick update as to what's been going on.

Wedding Plans: Alan and I, along with my mother, are still trying to figure out where we are going to have the wedding. For a while we decided on Outer Banks of North Carolina then somewhere in the Caribbean was thrown into the mix. We've had a terrible time finding a place that suits our needs. Well now we've got Hawaii and Southern California thrown into the mix as well. I'd love to get married in Hawaii as long as we could find affordable airfare and hotels for everyone. We'll see. So stay tuned for details.

Softball: Playing on a new team with year comprised of mostly friends that have moved here from California. It's fun to be surrounded by people from home. We all reminisce about home and are desperate for the Cali weather, mostly because we are playing in 100 degree heat. But we are doing really well this season, so hopefully we can keep it up.

Job status: Hmmm. What to say. What to say. Still looking for a job. I flew back to California a week and a half ago for a job interview at the City of Fullerton. Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed with the position and the false information that was shared with me prior to my decision to fly out there. Oh well. I interviewed here with another lady to be her assistant/secretary. I absolutely LOVE her to death. She is amazing. However, I don't know if I could afford to take the job due to the low pay. Alan and I are discussing it. I also have another possibility working for a ministry that I was referred to by my good friend Raquel. Keeping my fingers crossed that something comes along soon or I make a decision.

Health: As much as I'd love to say that things are going well and I'm still in remission, my latest CT scan showed some abnormalities that were alarming to my doctor. So we did another MRI and now I will await the news to see if we'll be going back to square one, or if I'll be able to remain in remission. I feel a bit defeated at the moment, but I know that everything will eventually work itself out.

That's about it for now. Things are going good for the most part. Well, except for this damn Texas heat. It's 11PM right now and my thermometer is reading 99 outside. I so wish I was living in Alaska right now.

I gotta job interview!!!

2007-07-25T21:18:00.000-05:00

I have a job interview next week for a government job. Woohooo!!! I'm soo excited. Pray for me! I really really really need this. It has amazing medical benefits and pays really well. YEAH!!!

Speechless

2007-07-12T20:09:00.000-05:00

There aren't many things that leave me speechless, but for the past week, I've been speechless. Last Thursday I went to my Doctor's appointment like normal to get my results from my bi-weekly CT-scan and MRI. However, this week was much different than my normal visits. Instead of leaving defeated with the reality that I had to continue on with my treatments and medication with no end in sight, this time I left in tears. My hands trembling from the news. I was given a clean bill of health. Could this really be true?? Could my tumor really be gone?? I have a hard time believing that its just gone, but at the same time, we have a powerful and mighty God. So now, we wait til my appointment next week to see if its truly gone. I'll still need to go monthly for a CT and MRI for the next year then bi-yearly for life to ensure that I'm in remission.

There has been a HUGE weight lifted off my shoulders. I'm rejuvenated and free! It feels amazing. God is Good!

And to top it all off, Alan proposed that same name. It's been an amazing week. We are planning for a May 08 Wedding on the East Coast or in the Carribbean.

An Ode to Plumb

2007-06-20T23:21:00.000-05:00

No, not the fruit, the singer! I've been listening to Plumb (a.k.a. Tiffany Arbuckle Lee) for a number of years. Beyond a doubt, she is one of the most talented christian music artists, IMHO. Each album of hers present a wonderful, fresh, new sound and direction that draws me in each time. I can't get enough of her music. With that said, it was a great joy of mine to see that she is featured in the new Steve Carell movie "Evan Almighty." She will be featured on the soundtrack doing a rendition of Spirit in the Sky. So get out, check out the movie, then go buy the soundtrack. While you're at it, pick up her newest album (Feb 06), Chaotic Resolve.

Overwhelmed

2007-06-01T09:52:00.001-05:00

I am completely overwhelmed and stressed out by life right now. I need to find a job that offers medical insurance quick. I don't know what I'm going to do. Ahhhh. I know everything is going to work out for the best, but it still doesn't do much to console my wearisome heart.

A new chapter will now begin

2007-05-24T17:45:00.001-05:00

As of today, I am no longer employed. I've joined the ranks of many of my friends that have gone before me and have been laid off. I don't know if I should be happy or cry my eyes out. Either way, I'm sure there is something better in store for me. I just need to figure out what it is.

The time has almost come....

2007-04-26T20:26:00.000-05:00

Jimmy Buffett's almost here!!!!!!! Where are all my fins at???

And that saga continues...

2007-04-25T19:56:00.000-05:00

Well I'm kind of left speechless... got my results back today from my CT scan on Friday and we're back up to 4.8mm. Not really much else to say.

It is well with my soul

2007-03-18T12:19:00.000-05:00

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

The rejoicing began in Heaven last night as Grandpa went home to be with the Lord. His frail body could just not endure through any more. He slipped into a coma for a few hours before they pulled the plug on all the meds and machines keeping him alive. Within an hour he was home. We rejoice knowing that he's home and no longer suffering on this earth. We thank God for the few days we had last week when he was better so that we could be with him and share our last moments with him laughing and remembering the good times of growing up. There is still a great amount of pain and sorrow knowing that there will forever be a void in our lives and our family now. Please continue to pray for our family during this difficult time. Alan and I will be traveling back on Wednesday for funeral services and to spend some time with my Grandmother, who is having a very difficult time.

Outta town

2007-03-05T14:32:00.000-06:00

I'll be in California for a while. My grandfather has suffered 3 major heart attacks and underwent 6 bypasses during his emergency open heart surgery. Please be praying for my family as we cope with this difficult time.

Oh the perils of home buying

2007-02-20T12:52:00.000-06:00

So I'm buying a house. A townhome actually. I'm quite excited about it. This is my first real estate purchase and it's quite overwhelming for me. I've been toying with the idea of purchasing for quite some time now, and have realized that its finally time to dive in.

I'm buying a brand new townhome in McKinney. It's in a great neighborhood and convenient as well. I should be closing around March 15th and just cannot wait!! I'm soo excited. Here are a few pics of the place and the floor plan. More pics and info will come as soon as I get time to post them here.

Sometimes the sun shines down on me...

2006-12-14T15:09:00.000-06:00

other times, unfortunately, it does not. I certainly wish this were one of those times in which it were shining down on me. It's been a rough week and it's only Wednesday. Went to the doctor on Monday for an oxygen chamber treatment as well as get my results from my latest ct scans.

Much to my dismay, my results were not what I was hoping. The tumor has begun to grow again and gone up to 1.2mm, where it was previously 0.5mm. When we originally cancelled the surgery that was scheduled for July, it was with the understanding that if the tumor were to grow again that it would require that we go in for surgery to have it removed. So now, we are back to square one.

I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of not feeling well. I'm tired of taking a gazillion medications daily. I'm tired of having to live my life in a bubble. I'm tired of not being my typical happy care-free self. I'm tired of worrying about what tomorrow is going to bring me. I'm tired of stressing out about how I'm going to pay my medical bills. Plain and simple, I'm just tired! There are so many days that I just want to give up. But I WILL NOT!

I will continue to fight, I will continue to deal with the medications, the sickness, the memory loss, the headaches. I will continue to live with restrictions in my life. I will continue to fight this battle in my brain. But I will not stress about how to pay the bills or worry about what tomorrow brings. I will try to live each day to my fullest, not knowing if it will be my last. I will live my life happy and care-free once again.

I WILL PERSEVERE and I WILL OVERCOME this trial in my life!

Love is in the air

2006-12-14T14:57:00.000-06:00

We'll do it all Everything

On our own

We don't need Anything

Or anyone

If I lay here If I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

I don't quite know How to say How I feel

Those three words Are said too much

They're not enough

If I lay here If I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told Before we get too old

Show me a garden that's burstin’ into life

Let's waste time Chasing cars Around our heads

I need your grace To remind me To find my own

If I lay here If I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told Before we get too old

Show me a garden that's bursting into life

All that I am All that I ever was

It’s here in your perfect eyes

They're all I can see

I don't know where Confused about how as well

Just know that these things Will never change for us at all

If I lay here If I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Thank you for helping me through one of the most difficult times of my life! I am so thankful for you each and every day of my life. You have been by my side each and every step of the way. Thank you for helping me and being there for me. Thank you for cleaning my house when I didnt have enough energy to do it. Thank you for enduring my mood swings and my OCD. Thank you for the love and nuturing you provide for me. Most importantly, thank you for being my best friend!!

I LOVE YOU TIGGER!!!!

Ahh its fall... finally

2006-11-06T20:50:00.000-06:00

The weather has finally cooled down! Soo exciting!

Things are going well for me. I'm finally beginning to feel better! It's been an extremely long and tough road for me, but we're almost done and out of the woods. I'm just thankful that things weren't worse, as I don't have anything to complain about.

My poor mother has not had the best of year with her kids as each of us has had a major ailment of sorts this year. Started with my older brother wrecking his motorcylce extremely bad and being hospitilized. Next along came my brain tumor and everything as a result of that. Now my younger brother has been hospitilized the past couple of days with an injury from ice hockey. He'll be in the hospital until Wednesday (today is Monday) at the very earliest. He is still awaiting an MRI and a visit with the orthopedic surgeon, but hopefully things will be good for him as well. Hopefully next year is much smoother for my family.

Alan and I will be traveling to Vegas next week for my older brother's wedding. We never thought it would happen, but he is actually getting married! For anyone that knows him, knows its a miracle!!! It will be great to get away for a few weeks to be with my family and enjoy some quality time with them. After Vegas it's off to Cali for a few weeks with the family and visiting with friends that I have not seen in months. I'll also be having a little reunion with the girls that I grew up with from elementary school all the way through high school. It's been almost 10 years since I've seen some of them, so I am extremely excited.

Don't fret either, because I will be indulging in some good 'ole In N Out Burgers at least a few times on my visit. I'll also be stocking up on some groceries from Trader Joes as well.

The sage continues...

2006-10-16T22:53:00.000-05:00

And another chapter in my crazy life is in the process of being written. As is my life lately, every time I see the light at the end of the tunnel another challenge comes along to pull me back into the darkness.

I'm tired, warn out, and almost ready to give up. The past few months have been extremely overwhelming for me. A year that was suppose to be all about me, has turned into the year of doctors appts, doctor bills, and poor health. This has been an extremely long and difficult road for me. One that I'm hoping will come to a dead end soon.

As a result of my radiation treatments, some of my brain cells surrounding the focus area have been damaged or actually killed off. (Let the brain dead jokes begin now) In order to repair the damage, I will need to go through 4 weeks of Hyberbaric Oxygen chamber treatment. So I'll be crammed into a chamber for a minimum of one hour per day, everyday, for 4 weeks. The other option for treatment is a steroid treatment that because of the great amount of risks and side effects as well as the low percentage rate of repair associated with it, we decided against it.

So for now, I just sit back and strap on my seatbelt once again and see where this ride takes me. I know the end is near and that this is all soo much better than having my head cut open. However, at the same time I'm just soo tired of feeling sick and having headaches. I want to be normal again and be able to go about my daily activities without feeling weak or tired.

I must say though that you all have been such an amazing support to me, for which I am so thankful. Alan has been absolutely amazing in supporting me through this time, for which I am extremely grateful and thankful for.

Life is good

2006-10-02T22:09:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to say that I'm still alive and kicking. I'm heading to Atlanta on business in the morning and will return on Friday night. It promises to be an extremely stressful and extremely busy week, but nonetheless it will be good to get out of town and out of the office for a few days.

Health is going, have some complications with regards to my vision that I need to get checked out but besides that I'm doing well.

Only a month and a half and we'll be on our way to Cali by way of Vegas and Pheonix. I'm extremely excited and can't wait to see everyone!!! My bro is getting married so that's a little crazy for me, and those of you that know him know how crazy that is as well. Alan is a leeetle nervous about meeting the family, but I've assured him that my family, despite being crazy, is still pretty cool.

That's about all for now, see you on the flipside.

God Blessed the broken road

2006-09-13T14:48:00.000-05:00

To sum up my life in one word, I would have to say "blessed." I am blessed to be surrounded by some of the most amazing and supportive people. I am blessed to work for the company I work for. I am blessed to do work that impacts people around the world. I am blessed by what the Lord has provided for me. I am blessed with an amazing family. And most importantly, I have been blessed with a miracle of Christ's healing.

The last update was of the good news that the cyst in my brain had miraculously shrunk from 9mm down to 5mm and my brain surgery to have it removed was postponed. Since that time my neurosurgeon referred me to a radiologist who was interested in performing a radiation treatment for my cyst called stereotactic radiation. This is a minimally-invasive form of radiation that instead of radiating the entire body, utilizes a system of three-dimensional coordinates to pinpoint the exact location the radiation treatment needs to target.

So on August 17th, I started my first round of treatments at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. Surprisingly the treatments were not too terrible on me. I will not lie thought as it has been a difficult process for me, that at times has left me completely lifeless with no energy as well as nauseated. However, these side effects are so much better than having brain surgery, so I cannot complain one single bit.

After a month of radiation treatments, my cyst has shrunk down to 1.2mm. As of right now, we have ceased radiation treatments and will wait to see if any more are needed. I will go back to the doctor this Friday for another CT to determine that next steps that need to be taken, if any. He's confident though that I will not need any further treatments, which is a HUGE relief for me.

This ride I've been on over the past 5 months is hopefully and prayerfully drawing to an end. While there are many things that occur in our lives that we may not fully understand, I take comfort knowing that everything in my life is in the Lord's hands. Thank you again to each and every one of you for your support over the past several months. The prayers, the calls, the meals, the car rides, the flowers, cards, gifts, e-mails, notes, everything that you all have done for me has truly meant the world to me. I am so thankful to be surrounded by some of the most amazing people. The adventure is almost over! I'm almost to the top of the mountain!!!

Just an update

2006-08-19T15:59:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've not had much time to keep this updated as of late. Things have been a bit chaotic for me, but nonetheless they are still going great. This is the year that is all about me!

So my last update was the great news that my surgery was postponed because the cyst had shrunk down to 5mm. What an amazing feeling that was to experience an answer to prayer. This update comes with some more good news along with some not so good news. My neuro decided that he wanted to try a new evasive radiation therapy for the cyst to try and completely dissolve it. I will be going in for a total of 3 treatments, possibly only 2 depending upon how the treatments go.

I had my first treatment this past Thursday 8/17 and will have the next one on Friday and the last one the following Thursday. So by the beginning of September, I should be back in business and completely done with this entire ordeal.

I've been feeling half way decent, for the most part. I've been extremely tired and feel as though all my energy has been zapped from me. But its nothing that I cant handle. Thankfully I've only been a little nauseous, so I've been able to manage that as well.

I can't really complain as life is still good and I still have my health. Radiation is nothing compared to brain surgery, so this is a cakewalk for me.

That's all I got for now. I'll try to keep you all updated more frequently and keep you all in the loop pertaining my treatments. Hope you all are doing well.