Errr...umm..Merry Christmas?

So, on my four day weekend I spent it all just trying to make sure we had gotten all the presents for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, some friends came over and at some point I became inebriated. Beyond inebriated. Then for the first half of Christmas Day I spent it with my head in the toilet or trying to suck it up for Emery. Then, I took a nap and was all better. My chest still hurts though. That afternoon we went to my husband’s grandmother’s house to celebrate with his side of the family.

Lots of food, good conversation, and we headed back home to just take it easy. And take it easy we did. So easy that I still have about 3 loads of laundry to do. My house was a disaster zone. Emery’s room looked like a toy bomb exploded in it, and our room needed some serious attention. So yesterday afternoon, I had my mother watch Emery while I cleaned up as much as I could. I still have dishes to wash, and the bathroom to clean. But my house smells wonderful, and you can see the floor now!!! You have no idea how awesome that is! Ha!

I do have pictures from Christmas, but nothing really great. Like I said I wasn’t up to doing much and apparently no one else knows how to work a camera but me. Still, as soon as I get them uploaded to my computer I’ll spam the crap out of this blog with pictures! I promise. This week was/is a short one for me at work. My bosses are the best! So we get another four day weekend! Woo woo!! Except this one will probably not involve liquor. Maybe some painting, more cleaning, and finally a haircut! Maybe go see a movie with some friends too. Who knows?

That’s about all I got for ya. Things have been keeping us pretty busy, my diet took a brief hiatus (but I’m getting back on track), and New Years is right around the corner. My, how time flies. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas! 

Book Review- The Hunger Games

Overview

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

My Review

First, I just want to say that I LOVED this book. I could not put it down. The overview pretty much explains the basics. Except for the “love” part. See, during these games, each tribute has sponsors that can help them out with food, and supplies during the game. These are based on how much each tribute is loved by the audience and if they can appeal to “big spenders” for help. Unfortunately, Katniss is kind of blunt. Not very appealing to the audience because of her attitude. So, the guy from her district that was also picked as a tribute decides to help her out, by creating a type of romantic relationship between the two for the camera’s. And as much as she appreciates it, it starts to get in the way of her emotions, and suddenly she can’t tell what’s for the camera’s and what’s not. She can't tell what are real feelings, or if she's just going along with everything to survive. Only one person can come out of the games, and even with the "fake relationship" and short alliances, she feels as if she can’t be attached. In the end she ends up causing quite a bit of trouble, and people are hurt in the process. 

I had seen this book at our local bookstore so many times, but always put it back as something I would read later. Well, recently I saw a trailer for a movie and before the title flashed on the screen I knew it was this book. It looked like it was going to be amazing. Then, my brother said he had read the book and actually liked it so I figured I’d read it before going to see the movie in March... Wow. I'm so glad that I did! I found myself completely attached from the very first chapter. I think what I found so appealing about this book, is how it wasn't supernatural. These were ordinary people. Yes, technology is way advanced in the books, but there wasn’t anything superhuman about anyone. And the way the book is written, you could easily be thinking those same thoughts. Feeling the same things. And I absolutely loved it! Once I finished it, I went straight to the bookstore to get the second book. 

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

A Rough Monday

So here I sit with a nice, steaming cup of coffee. My head kind of hurts, and I’m fighting the urge to curl up on the couch at work and go to sleep. Why so tired? Well, I became pretty hooked on these books, and last night I stayed up really...really late, finishing the last one. I’m not going to lie, I’m actually feeling a little sad today. But, more on that later.

This past weekend, my husband opted to do some shopping instead of getting each other gifts for Christmas. I know it kind of defeats the purpose, but I’d much rather go out and pick something out that I want instead of trying to come up with ideas that he can “surprise me” with. Some people may not like this way of doing things, and I’m sure every Christmas won’t be like this, but for this year I’m completely satisfied.

So needless to say, this week is going to be a busy one. I get another four day weekend, but on Friday I’ll be making another trip to the city because we still don’t have any presents under the tree. Cutting it a little close, huh? So, with having so much to do, I’ll just be posting another book review this week. Then a few little things here and there before finally coming back on Monday or Tuesday with a nice update and more than likely a lengthy photo spam. :-)

Now, excuse me while I go hook myself up to a coffee IV.

Going Meatless

A loose vegetarian? This is the term my friends Olivia & Kim used when talking about their recent (well, actually it’s been awhile) eating habit changes. They sticks to mainly a vegetarian lifestyle, but every once in awhile they’ll allow themselves to eat meat. Now, I don’t think that their change came from feeling sorry for animals (although I’m sure it did strike a cord), but more from them wanting to make healthy decisions about what they put into their bodies.

Now, I’m not sure how 100% vegetarian’s/vegan’s feel about this term, but I feel like it’s the right word(s) for what I’m aiming for in my life. I’ve talked about how I love meat before, and I know that a lot of our meat gets pretty mistreated when it’s in animal form. It’s pumped full of hormones/chemicals, which can be really bad for us humans. But even with that, I love meat.

But for my health and my family’s health, I want us to make a change. I want our diet to be mainly vegetarian, with only small portions of meat/poultry from time to time. I know this isn’t something that can happen overnight. My husband refuses to go vegetarian at all, unless I can find some good substitutes. So, I still buy chicken breasts and ground beef. Which makes the temptation that much harder to resist.

I recently discovered the vegetarian section at our local Wal-Mart (don’t judge, I’m limited on store choices) though. They carry this brand called Morningstar Farms, which has several vegetarian/vegan products! I tried out their Chik’n nuggets a few weeks ago and I loved them! So did Emery. So I went and bought some more, along with some meatless meat crumbles. Last week I decided to make our Velveeta Cheeseburger Skillet with the crumbles as a substitute for the ground beef and I thought it tasted really good.

My husband on the other hand, didn’t. Emery was more into playing with her food that evening instead of actually eating it so her reaction doesn’t count, lol! But, the week before last I made meatless burgers from a different brand called Boca and my husband enjoyed those. So, it’s a work in progress and we’ll eventually get there! It’s all about making them taste good. And since I’m a “first timer” in the kitchen, it might take a little while. Here’s hoping it won’t take too long though!  

Book Review- The Vampire Diaries Vol. II

Overview

Elena: transformed, the golden girl has become what she once feared and desired.

Stefan: tormented by losing Elena, he's determined to end his feud with Damon once and for all—whatever the cost. But slowly he begins to realize that his brother is not his only enemy.

Damon: at last, he possesses Elena. But will his thirst for revenge against Stefan poison his triumph? Or can they come together to face one final battle?

Collected here in one edition are the third and fourth volumes of The Vampire Diaries, a riveting conclusion to the tale of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.

My Review

This book pretty much starts off exactly where the first volume left off. Again, a lot was covered in very limited pages. We still have the two vampire brothers, and a big bad evil that no one can figure out. Only, Elena was turned. Yea, it happened a lot faster than most of these vampire love stories usually allow. The only problem that comes from this is that she thinks she’s in love with Damon, not Stefan. Something affected her when she turned that kind of has her feelings all screwy. But no worries, after some hard facts she realizes who she really loves. Still, as she’s getting used to her new vampy self, they find out some bad mojo is floating around Fell’s Church. A lot of bad stuff starts happening, and it’s their duty to figure out what/who is behind it. Surprisingly, it’s not who they think it is. And once the final showdown has settled, Elena is dead. For real this time.

The second book is from Bonnie’s point of view. Damon and Stefan are gone, and it’s been six months since Elena died. While trying to have some “normalcy” in her life, Bonnie allows Caroline to throw a birthday party for her friend Meredith. Only, this party ends in the death of another student. And its leaves Bonnie with dreams which allow her to communicate with Elena. This brings back the Salvatore brothers, reveals a “mythical” creature, and another murder. So, the hunt is on. The group starts trying to figure out who is behind everything and why. But what they find is quite a surprise. Alas, the good guys win, and for their efforts they get a gift.

Bonnie is smart, and due to her “psychic/witchy powers” she’s able to put together a lot of different pieces to the puzzles they’re presented with. But, that’s about as much appeal as her character gets. She’s whiny, hardly uses any kind of magic, and she’s a bit of a coward. When bad stuff starts to happen, or when the final throw-down comes into play, she kind of just sits there. Screaming. At least in Elena’s point of view, although sometimes I felt it was all stupidity, it at least held my interest more.

Again, these are pretty fast-paced books. The characters are nothing like the TV series. But, I liked it because it still was a lot different than most vampire books today. And Elena actually dying, was a bit of a shocker. I guess the ending makes up for it though. And it leaves it open for what eventually was the return series. As much as the last part of the volume, in Bonnie’s point of view, kind of annoyed me I was still satisfied. I recommend reading it, if you can make your way through that last half, knowing that it will get better.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

Where Do I Begin?

Well, as of tomorrow, Christmas break will finally commence. Which means, 5 1/2 weeks of no school!! No homework, no stress. And one week of that break, we will be back in beautiful California. I’m. So. EXCITED! I have one more final tomorrow, which has me in a nervous state, and then some peace.

So for now, let’s catch up. Thanksgiving was pretty much like any other day. My family had made no plans so we went to my husband’s grandmother’s house. We had an early dinner, my husband stayed at his mothers to spend time with his cousin (I wasn’t all that thrilled), and Emery and I made our way home. We spent the rest of the day playing, watching movies, and eating junk food. Ok, I ate junk food. Emery was only allowed a few cookies and the rest was fruit. On black Friday, I opted out of the early morning chaos and instead we went later in the day with Kim to do a little bit of shopping. That afternoon Kim, my brother, my dad, and I went to go watch "Breaking Dawn Part I" and "Immortals". On Saturday, Emery and I went to have dinner with Kim and Olivia’s family. It was a vegan Thanksgiving! Very different, but still delicious! The rest of the weekend was lazy, amazingly slow, and filled with naps.

Emery is learning new words every day! Both English and Spanish! So, I’m pretty thrilled about this. But with more words, come more expressions. And boy can she be expressive. She stomps her feet, says “NO”, and she’ll shake her finger at you if you don’t “play” by her rules. She’s pretty much spoiled. No matter how much we try and correct it by disciplining her she just gets away with whatever at her babysitters (and at my parents) so she doesn’t really care. It’s been a bit of a battle, but hopefully with some consistence disciplining, her attitude will eventually calm down. Or, it’ll just get worse and we’ll really be the epitome of the phrase “You’ll pay for this when you become a parent.” Either way we’re in for it. But in all seriousness, I’m enjoying watching her grow. Even with the teenage attitude she seems to project at times. I’m completely in love with her.

My husband was “offered” another job. But it won’t start till February, if he wants it. For me, it would be awful. The money is a lot better, but he’d be leaving a lot early and getting home pretty late. Had this offer come up before Emery, I would have sucked it up because we need the money. But this job would mean less time spent with her. She already has two days out of the week that I barely get to spend time with her, and I just feel that having both parents gone a lot would really effect her in a negative way. So we decided to just think it over, see what changes his current workplace is going to be taking on (if they’ll benefit us or not), and then finally make a decision sometime in January. If the offer is still on the table.

My weight is holding steady at 159 lbs. As much as I feel like a damn failure, I’m also pleased that it hasn’t gone up. Especially with all of the food for Thanksgiving, at our office (everyone is bringing baked goodies at least twice a week), and with Christmas coming up too. I’ve been slowly letting go of red meat. I do really well for a few days and then all of a sudden I just crave meat. So I indulge, and then go back to poultry, veggies, and fruits. But, I’ve also discovered the vegetarian/vegan section at Wal-Mart (don’t judge) and I’ve found a couple of tasty “meatless meats” in that section that I’ve actually enjoyed. So even though the transition has been a slow one, I’m well on my way to becoming a “loose vegetarian”.

I started running again! After my little spill, I had to kind of ease back into running. I’m a bit frustrated because before I was doing 3 miles and not feeling very out of breath or tired. Now, I’m barely doing a mile and a half before I start to lose it. My breathing gets all out of whack, and I feel like I just have to stop. Sometimes I can push through it and reach two miles; others I barely make it passed one. So yea, I’ve been a bit annoyed, but so long as I don’t have anymore injuries I should be back up to speed in no time.

I didn’t take very many pictures in November. Maybe about 10-20 at most? Very disappointed in myself for that. I’m all about pictures and my camera is always with me. I guess I just got so caught up all of these finals, and trying to get all of my projects completed in time, that I haven’t had enough time to really go out and take pictures. But with this break, hopefully I’ll get myself back on track with that too. Ok, so that’s about it for me today. Hope everyone else has been doing well!  

Goodbye Little Man

Dear Keegan,

I’m so sorry that you had to go. I’m so sorry that we all failed you. You are such a beautiful soul, and I know that you’re in a better place. But that doesn’t stop us from wanting you back here. To be with your family where you belong. You will be so deeply missed little man. We love you to the moon, and back.

Dear Beth,

If you ever get to read this I just wanted to let you know that I am so, so very sorry. I’m so sorry that we failed you. I’m so sorry that you had to go through this. No mother should ever have to deal with the loss of their child. You have been so brave, and honest. So open, and I want to thank you for sharing Keegan with us. He is such a beautiful, beautiful little boy. It truly breaks my heart to see what you and you’re family have to go through now. Nothing I say could possibly ease you’re pain, but I hope that God brings you some comfort. You are all in my prayers.      

Lots of Love and My Deepest Condolences,

The Rosenbalm Family

Hi! Bye!

Whoa! It's already December 1st?!? Crazy stuff, huh? 

I’m a bit of a scrambled mess. This week, is my final week of actual classes, but I have 3 finals within the next two weeks. So, I’ve been trying to wrap everything up. Get caught up, study for finals, and turn in everything that I have. I’m also working on some last minute projects that are all due by the end of next week. Busy, Busy, Busy! 

So, to say the least, I’ll return to blogging as soon as things settle down. Wish me luck!! 

Cough, Cough

Ok, so last week, Emery got sick. She was vomiting and running a fever pretty much all night. So, I stayed home from work on Tuesday to take care of her. By Wednesday afternoon she was completely over it. Well, then my Uncle got sick on Wednesday followed by me Thursday night, and my husband and mom on Saturday. Yea, it was so much fun, let me tell you. Eh. Thankfully, it came on fast, and left just as quickly (it only lasted about 24-hours). So, most of my time was spent either in bed, or taking care of someone in bed all while still doing every day chores. Super Mom! I didn't get a lot of chances to post, and this week, I might be a little off too. 

I spent a good part of last week, doing nothing but catching up on Vampire Diaries on Netflix while we were all sick. My mother helped me keep up with laundry, but the house is back to being a mess. Fortunately for me, I get a four day weekend, so I plan to fully take advantage of it! I’m hoping to get some painting done too!! The inside of our house needs it, bad. So, that will be my project, starting Thursday! Woot woot! Now, I’m off to go study for these exams. I’ll update more later! 

Wordless Wednesday

Sampson Safety

I've mentioned before that we have a dog. I also mentioned that I felt we weren’t doing a very good job at giving him the attention he needed. Our life had been flipped upside down when we found out I was expecting, and then we moved right next door to my parents who aren’t big “dog lovers”. After that he killed the cat which made my family a bit angry with him. Ok, a lot angry with him. So he was turned into a permanent outside dog. Well, as we all know, life got even more busy once Emery started walking AND once I started school. So, I really had no idea if we could keep the promise to spend more time with him.

But, we’re making the effort. We aren’t giving Sampson up and we want him to be a part of this family. Well, as much of a part as a dog can be. So, my first step in that direction was to officially bring him back to being an indoor dog, part time. When we’re home he comes in, when we’re out he stays in his outdoor pen. We’ve gotten a few protests from my family due to “safety” involving Emery. I’ve taken everything into consideration and as I’ve stated before that no matter what breed a dog is, they’re still animals. I’m fully aware of this, and I’ve taken some precautions to try to make sure that nothing ever happens.

• Emery is never alone with Sampson.
• He’s not allowed near her when there’s food involved.
• She’s not allowed to hit, bite, or pull on any part of him.
• And we have his crate ready for when he needs his “alone time” to relax without having a toddler running around wanting to pet him (so long as his pillow is in there he usually refuses to come out at all anyway)
• We’re also recently showed Emery how to pet and not slap at him. 
• She can give him kisses, one is usually enough, and there’s no grabbing his mouth.

Now, I know that this isn’t a 100% secure plan that he won’t ever do anything. I’ve read all of the horror stories, all of the accidents, and I know that tragedies happen. But I feel like I’m taking all of the right steps when it comes to having any kind of pet inside the home. Sampson’s personality has always been gentle and laid back (until we go outside and he wants to play). He’s always wanting his belly rubbed, and he LOVES to cuddle. But I understand that we won’t ever know him 100% because, well...he’s a dog. Still, Sampson was always a part of our lives, and I don’t want to change that. I want him to feel like he’s truly loved, because we do really love him.

Just because we had Emery, doesn't  mean that we can't still have Sampson as our pet. It just means that we have to be more disciplined, and responsible. So, I’m really looking forward to these changes. I’m looking forward to having Sampson back in our daily lives. 

Book Review- The Vampire Diaries Vol. I

Hello! Ok so I’ve been reading books again! It’s been a long time since I’ve actually read something I wanted to, instead of just something I had to. And to be honest, I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be addicted to books. That feeling you get when you look at the clock and tell yourself “Ok, 30 more minutes and that’s it.” Only to look back up and realize two hours have gone by. Or when you get ready for bed and snuggle up with a book intent on finishing just a single chapter. Only you over did it and realize it’s about to be 1 am, you’ve already gone through half the book, and you should have been in bed HOURS ago. Yea...I missed that. LOL!

So, as we all know I’m a big “young adult fiction” lover. More specifically supernatural stuff. Vampires, Witches, Demons, Magic, Werewolves. And I’m a sucker for romance. So put those two together and I’m a happy lady. Now, my goal was to read one or two books a month and then write a “review” about them. But then I started looking at how everyone else writes reviews, and realized I can’t do that. So instead, I’m just going to be telling you what I thought of the books/how they made me feel. But, in not so fancy wording. Ok? So here goes:

Overview

Elena: the golden girl, the leader, the one who can have any boy she wants. 

Stefan: brooding and mysterious, he seems to be the only one who can resist Elena, even as he struggles to protect her from the horrors that haunt his past. 

Damon: sexy, dangerous, and driven by an urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed him. Determined to have Elena, he'd kill to possess her. 

Collected here in one volume for the first time, volumes one and two of The Vampire Diaries, the tale of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.

My Review

If you like Twilight, but don’t like a lot of “emotional” stuff then this book is perfect. We have a very self-centered girl (Elena). A brooding “I’m-a-monster-that-can’t-be-fixed, but please try” vampire (Stefan). And his douche-bag, “I’m-a-monster-that-can’t-be-fixed, and don’t even think about trying” brother (Damon). The setting is high school, of course.

The books seem to cover a lot in a very limited amount of pages. I didn’t feel like I connected at all with any of the characters (lots covered in a few pages). But the story, even though it’s a bit repeated, was decent. I found myself on “Team Stefan” throughout the entire book. Elena, on the other hand, annoyed me. I kept asking myself if Stefan and Damon were even “looking” at this chick or if they were just in love with who she reminded them of? Because seriously, I would have ditched her a long time ago.

The ending of Volume One was a bit predictable, but not at the same time. I knew it was something bound to happen, I just didn’t expect it to be so soon. So that was different. There wasn’t a lot of “interaction” between the characters. Mostly it was Elena trying to make herself out to be a victim and a protector all at the same time, with bits and pieces of vampire “action” thrown in.

Like I said, if you don’t have time to read four huge novels like the Twilight series these books are perfect. It definitely has the main character be more of the “selfish” type than I’m used to but still it was ok. If you watch the TV show, I recommend reading the books just so you can get the real version of where it originated from but, don’t expect it to be the same. Even though the main characters were transferred to the screen, that’s as far as it goes with “keeping to the books”.  

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

Spanish Speaking Child

In case you can’t tell, or if for some reason I may look as if I’m of a different ethnic background (people ask if I’m Asian all of the time) than what I really am, I’m stating now that I'm Hispanic. More specifically, I’m Mexican. My dad is from Mexico, and my mom is Mexican BUT she was born here in Texas. I was born here in Texas too.

I grew up speaking both English and Spanish. And according to my family, they were all amazed at how easily both came to me. Some family members spoke to me in English and others spoke to me in Spanish and I consider this as being one of the major reasons why I was able to catch on to both. Also, most of my summers growing up were filled with a few weeks spent in Victoria, Tamaulipas, México to spend time with my dads side of the family. So that helped. I was able to communicate with my family, and they all understood what I was saying. Even if I mixed a sentence up. My daughter on the other hand, well, it’s a different story for us.

My husband is half white and Hispanic. He looks and dances like a white boy though! Since his father was never in the picture, he wasn't taught how to speak Spanish. While I was pregnant though, he was very upfront about wanting our daughter to be taught BOTH English and Spanish. I was in complete agreement. We wanted her to be able to talk to her Spanish speaking family just as easily as she does with her English speaking one. But we both work full-time, and now I'm going to school full-time, so teaching her Spanish seemed like it would be difficult. Thankfully, our babysitter speaks only Spanish. So that solved our problem.

But now that Emery is saying words, we've both noticed that they’re all pretty much Spanish. Even her little “toddler mumbles” come out sounding Spanish! And this doesn’t really phase me because I can understand the words she’s saying, but my husband can’t. Sometimes he’ll smile, nod, then quickly ask me what she said. But the other night, he just smiled and said “Love, I wish I knew what you were saying.” His statement really got me thinking about how frustrating it will probably be for him. Emery will more than likely be learning the language she hears the most a bit more quickly, than the one she doesn’t. I was like that too. And who knows, she might even prefer Spanish over English? So it makes me a bit sad to think that my husband won’t really know what she’s saying half the time.

I've been trying to teach her the English words for all of the Spanish ones she knows. I’ve also been trying to help my husband out by telling him what her phrases mean that way in the future (or when I’m at school and they’re alone) he can understand what she’s saying/asking. She’s not speaking complete sentences yet, and most of her “questions” are one or two words. She knows a lot of English words too, so it’s not like everything she says is in Spanish. Still, I’m pretty sure even one word questions can seem confusing to someone who doesn’t understand them. And with her growing vocabulary in both languages, I'm sure it's only going to get more confusing. 

Listen

Old

A little over two weeks ago, I fell as I was leaving work. We have this slope that leads up to a garage, and our entire drive/parking area is made up of loose rocks. I had my books, my back pack, my purse, and a drink all either on me or being carried. As I was making my way down this slope some of the loose rocks gave way, and I almost did the splits. Only, I landed on my left knee. Full force. Now, despite the recent weight loss I’m still not very light. So, imagine most (if not all) of your weight on top of your knee being slammed onto rocks. There was a bit of blood, a quiet “SHIT!”, and I limped my unhappy ass to the car. I had two exams and I was already running behind. I didn’t look at it again for the rest of the day, but I did limp around.

The next day I had a huge bruise. Sorry I didn’t take pictures. I had a scrape that I cleaned up, iced, and I went about my business. Limping. Fast-forward to two weeks later, and the bruise is almost completely gone, but my knee is still in PAIN. And the limping in still here. I tried to run on it, and that failed miserably. I tried icing it again. I stretched it out thinking it might just be a kink I need to push through. I’ve even tried to keep off of my feet and keep my leg elevated as much as possible.

Today, I still have a limp. My knee still hurts and I have this overwhelming desire to buy myself some Bengay, calcium supplements, and a knee brace. Seriously, this fall doesn’t even register on my “Top Ten Worst Falls”. I bounced back from those within a few days. So I found myself asking “Why the hell is this one taking so long?” Then I realized... “Oh yea...because your OLD! Now get over it!” 

So, off I go to buy some Bengay. 

Editing

I was finally able to start editing all of the pictures from my past posts! The down side is that I apparently write a lot. So, I only made it to February 2011 on my blog archive before having to quit for the day. Even then, there are a few pictures that I left as “blank” because they were of someone else other than my daughter, and those could wait to be replaced. Once I’m done with the pictures, I’ll be inserting my signatures in all of the posts that left it off. Yes, I’m a bit OCD.

I’ve also decided to switch my video “host” over to Vimeo. They have a way for me to embed my videos, and only people with a password can view them. Plus, no one else can embed them to their sites. This is mainly going to be for our family members. I know it’s such a bummer and a drag, but like I said before I’m aiming to share as much as I feel comfortable with all of y’all while also keeping my daughter as private as possible.

I’m also going to be changing things up around the blog. I’m a creature of change after all. It was bound to happen again. :-P I’m thinking about paying someone to make me a cute banner. I’m taking this out of my lunch money, because I’m still saving for that awesome VACATION we’re going on in a few months. Woot Woot! If I don’t pay someone, I just might change the layout or background and make myself a banner. Who knows?! Still, lots of changes going on. Pretty excited!

So, bare with me as I get my blog together, ok?  

Vegetarian

Recently, I decided I needed to take a different approach to my diet. I need to start really watching WHAT I’m putting into my body. Counting calories has been great, and I’ve lost 10 lbs with doing just this and working out. Unfortunately with life being a bit more hectic than usual, eating on the go, and not having a lot of time to keep a consistent work out going, I’ve realized that just counting calories isn’t going to cut it. At least not if I want to keep loosing.

So, recently I’ve looked into vegetarianism. Now, before I go any farther let me just say I love meat. I am from Texas after all. I love a nice medium rare, 12 oz. steak (great, now I’m hungry) just as much as the next Texan girl. But, eating this all of the time is no bueno. Not that I eat a steak every night for dinner. But I do catch myself eating friend chicken, chicken, or beef in/with a lot of my meals. I really feel like this needs to stop. I think I need to be focusing more on whole foods. Lots of veggies, fruits, and a lot more water. A lot like clean eating.

I don’t plan on being completely vegetarian exactly. Like I said, I love meat. But, I think that I need to cut as much of it out as possible. My plan is to really limit beef, and just stick to chicken (not fried chicken). Slowly wean myself off of them both to where they’re pretty much nonexistent. Maybe only include them in two meals a week? I don’t know how well this will work, or if I’ll even be able to stick with it. Especially in a family that loves meat, and will not alter their diet just because I’m altering mine. LOL! But, my main goal is to have more veggies and fruits than I do meats.

This week I ate meats. I had some hot pockets that needed to be finished up, and I’m the only one that eats them. Excuse? Maybe. Tomorrow I’ll be doing our weekly grocery shopping, so I’ll be going through a whole foods and vegetarian cookbook to get some ideas on recipes and ingredients. If I fail miserably, well at least I tried, and learned a few recipes! 

Trick or Treat? Yea...about that...

As everyone in the world knows, Monday was HALLOWEEN!! I personally used to love this holiday. Mainly because I got to dress us, and get drunk. Lots of laughs, and a lot of parties. Ha! But, once you have a kid, even if you still get to attend those parties the day of Halloween is all about the kids! You dress up with your child, and you go trick or treating. Right?

Well, last year for Halloween we did nothing. Emery was still pretty much crawling around. My husband had just gotten back from working in Oklahoma, and we weren’t in that great of a place. This year, even though Emery is fully capable of walking around and carrying a bucket for candy, we I opted out of Halloween. My husband said he wanted to take her, but when I had said that I didn’t think I was going to he decided to leave it at that. Lay on the guilt trip why don’t ya?? And then when people would ask, and I’d tell them we weren’t going, they looked at me as if I had “criminal” stamped on my forehead.

“Why not? How can you not take your daughter trick or treating?”

Easy! She’s 20 months! Not even two years old yet. She can’t even say “Trick or Treat” herself! Seriously. And we all know who would have ended up eating the candy *points at herself* because Emery is not allowed to have any. So, I firmly believe she’s too young still. Next year, it might be a different story. But see, I want her to be just as excited about Halloween as my husband and I are. I want her to be able to dress up and somewhat get the concept of how the whole thing works. This year, she couldn’t care less. I cooked dinner, and we watched Casper. Then when her dad got home, they stayed up playing and watching Sprout while eating ice cream in their PJ’s. We allowed the ice cream because it was Halloween. She was happier than a clam!

Now, I’m not saying it’s wrong to take your kids, that are pretty young, out trick or treating. I think it’s really cool that parents do that. I just didn’t think it was right for us. And despite the weird looks, and some “two cents” opinions that I received on the matter, I completely stand by my decision. Now let's just hope this isn't one of those things that my daughter tries to hold over my head later on, lol! 

p.s. Surprisingly, my mother was completely

with me on this. LOL! 

Reading

click image for source

I’m a bit of a book worm. When I was younger, on our bus rides to and from school I would turn on my CD player (yea, it’s been awhile) and read a book. Sometimes I would skip out on lunch, or study hall and I’d ask to go to the library. It was always so quite, and peaceful. It smelled like books. Pages. Have you ever bought a new book, opened it up, and smelt it? I know it sounds weird, but to me they smell amazing. Any way, I was always reading. I LOVE reading good books.

Currently I have two dilemma’s getting in the way of this love of mine. One being time and the other is trying to find books for my age. I’m 24 years old and I can’t help but still look in the “Young Adult” section. I do consider myself a young adult, but the books in this section have always seemed to target more of the teenage category. Which makes me wonder what the heck is actually in the “Teen” section then? It seems as if I’m finding it harder and harder to find good books too. They’re all about the same thing! Thank you, Twilight. As much as I love vampires, witches, and werewolves sometimes I’d like a little variety. Because of this I’ve tried to stray from my typical options every once in awhile, only to come running back to my normal selection.

Finding time to read has also been a big problem. I have a total of four books that still haven’t been touched, just sitting there...waiting for me. It’s a bit annoying knowing that I could be reading a good book instead of doing whatever it is I’m doing at the time (chores, homework, laundry, etc. ). So, recently I decided that I should pick this habit of mine back up. Maybe not like before where I would spend HOURS reading, but I think an hour or two of reading and no TV would do some good. Not only that but I really want Emery to have a love for books like I did do. A lot of things I’ve read about turning your kid on to reading is to lead by example. If you want your kid to like a certain type of music, listen to it. Dance, show them that you like it too. If you want your kid to draw, do it. Sit down and draw with them. If you want your kids to enjoy reading, read yourself and/or read out loud.

So now, I’m making it a point to read a book (maybe two) every month. Reading was something I really loved, so I need to find make time to get back into it. 

Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Happy Samhain!

It’s been awhile, aye? The past few weeks have been pretty busy. From October 19-26th we had several celebrations. I had some posts in the works for my brother’s birthday and for my future sister-in-law’s birthday, but I got caught up in a lot of school that I didn’t have time to finish them. Once I do, I’ll post them on their respective days (if I get the chance).

On our birthday weekend my husband and I attempted to have a date night. We got all dressed up, but once we hit town we realized there just wasn’t anything to do. So, we grabbed some alcohol, drink mix materials, and headed home. Since Em was out with my mother we decided to make drinks, listen to music, and play some card games! Oh my gosh is my age showing?!? We had a blast, and at the end of the night we brought Emery back home, and went to sleep! All by MIDNIGHT!! Yea, if it wasn’t showing before it is now. LOL! That Sunday, we spent time with some friends. Emery and I were able to have a girls only lunch with a friend of mine. It was definitely needed, and nice.

This past weekend, my grandmother came back home. She’s spent a few months in Georgia with some of her other children and family. As awesome as it is for her to go visit, get away for awhile, and spend time with them we really missed her! Two of my uncle’s brought her down so it was nice to get to spend time with them this weekend too. 

School has been good. I was caught up in a few back to back exams so I spent a lot of time with my nose in a book. That or taking notes, and practicing essays. This in turn left me feeling very...anxious. Thankfully, this past Saturday was filled with projects to help me “shake it off”. I did a mass load of laundry. Rearranged the workout/storage room. I set up the basics of my husband’s new “man cave”. There are still some things we have to get for it. I gave our “first born” a bath, and then finally moved Emery’s crib into our room. Lots of dusting, sweeping, and mopping. It was awesome! I really felt like I was getting everything ready for winter. This next weekend, I’m doing another clothes haul! I’ll be sending some stuff to my cousin and the rest to H.O.P.E. Needless to say, I’ve been feeling very productive.

I’m still heartbroken over the news about Keegan. And as much as I wish that I could make all these sick kids better, I know that I can’t. So, I just hope that every single one of them has the best time while here. Whether it be a few months, or a lifetime. I pray that they feel comfort and love no matter what. And now, I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Halloween!! 

It Was Suppose To Be...

Today was suppose to be a good day. 

Recently, I deleted my caringbridge app on my iPhone because, I was so depressed. I still checked on them online. I just couldn't have it right there on my phone 24/7. I got so attached. I cried, and I got angry. I felt as if I was related to all of those kids. In some ways I put myself in their mothers shoes. And I lived my daily life constantly worried. Worried that any day, it could be Emery. I cried.

So, I decided to take a bit of a break. My heart just couldn't handle so much death. And all of them so young. Babies even. YOUNGER than Emery. All gone because of some stupid piece of shit disease. For every one survivor there seemed to be four deaths. So, I stopped. Maybe that’s cowardly, and I can’t imagine what those moms are going through but I just had to take a breath. I had to stop, and spend a little time in my oblivious world, enjoying my baby girl.

But today, on my own damn birthday, I read this. I’d been following this family for awhile, and only recently had I stopped checking on her blog because of being so busy with school. But today I saw a post on Facebook from the Layla Grace Foundation and I felt like I had been slapped with a ton of bricks. So I immediately went over to her blog and read her update. The air was knocked right out of me. Then, I saw this:

Peek-a-Boo! from Keegansmommy09 on Vimeo.

And I cried. This little baby, was given a few months to as little as a few weeks left to live. That’s it. That’s IT?? THAT CAN’T BE FUCKING IT! I feel so hurt. I feel so damn angry. I can’t imagine what Beth is feeling right now. All I want to do is cry and make it all go away. I want to make him better. I want for him to be a giggly two year old and have him grow up to be an old man with a wife, and grandchildren. I want him to have a life. That’s how I feel about all of them. That’s how it’s suppose to be. But for some damn reason, it won’t happen. And this really really pisses me off.

FUCK!

This was suppose to be a good day. They were suppose to get good news.

Twenty-Four

Today, I turn twenty four. Happy Birthday to ME! Ha! I’ve been blessed with a year of happiness, sadness, life, great health, good friends, and a wonderful family. Age has never bothered me, and I hope I do it gracefully. So here I am, twenty four years old and finally getting my things in order. I couldn’t be happier.

So here’s to me! May I get another wonderful year! 

Happy Anniversary, Babe!

Today is our three year anniversary.

Sure, that may not seem a lot compared to couples going on their 60th anniversary.

But still, three years. 

Great years.

We’ve had a lot of ups and downs.

Some people told us to think twice.

Some people told us we wouldn’t make it passed 6 months.

But here we are, 3 years in, and not slowing down.

I Love You, Beau. 

Here's to many more years of life, laughter, and love together!  

Happy Birthday, Love

Today, my husband turns twenty-five. A number that he has all of a sudden deemed to be “old”. But I think it’s the perfect age! Probably because I’m right behind him, lol! I think this will be a year of growth for him (not that he hasn't grown already). I also believe that this will be a year of opportunities for him. He's truly an amazing and talented man. I am so thankful for him! So to my husband, I’d just like to say:

Happy Birthday, Babe!

I’m so happy to get to be a part of your life.

Hope you have a great day and I love you!

Here's to turning

20 months

Today, Emery officially turned 20 months old. Can you believe that? My baby, is about to be a toddler - toddler. There won’t be anymore “Oh, she’s 18 months.” or “Oh, she’s 14 months.” It’s about to be, “Yea, my kid is two.” If it weren't for being so tired, I just might cry. We have four more months to go before she’s no longer considered “a baby”. Granted, she’ll always be my baby but you get my point, right? In the eyes of society, she’s about to begin her preschool years. And the fact that “school” is even a part of that sentence has me a bit freaked out.

Omg...  

I Thought About It...

First, let me just say that I absolutely hate algebra. I don’t know why I have to know it because my major only requires basic math. Last week in my algebra class was pretty insane and I have no idea how I’m going to pass my exams. BUT hopefully, I will. With that said, I’ve been getting migraines lately. The kind that cause me physical pain all down my neck and shoulders. The kind that make me want to curl up in a ball, with all of the lights turned off, and just sleep. But being a mom, as all of you may know first hand, means that I can’t do that. And being a full-time college student kind of adds to the stress and pressure. So, last week during my classes I literally felt like every inch of my body hurt. Light hurt, sound hurt, and just trying to make myself retain the information I was given HURT. 

I don’t think it’s algebra or history's fault, LOL! How could knowledge (the school kind) possibly cause you pain? It can’t. I think it was just my body’s way of telling me to stop for a minute. I’ve been stressed out a lot over some stuff here at home. I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to go about putting money aside for our vacation. I’ve been loaded with Midterm Exams and quizzes. And finally, I’ve been trying to put in more hours at work. We need the money. I feel like I’m being overloaded and stretched pretty thin. These migraines seem to pop up on days when I feel like I have too many things to do and not enough hours. 

So, do you know what I thought about last Thursday as I got out of class?? Loading myself a bowl. Ha! Yea, I’m not too proud of that, but at the same time I’m not ashamed. If you've read my Mary Jane page, you know I’m Pro-Marijuana Legalization. Of all the drugs out there I believe that weed should be just as legal as cigarettes and alcohol. If you’ve read my page you also probably know that I used to be a pot smoker. I wasn’t a hardcore “user”. You can even ask people that knew me then and they’ll tell you the same thing. But I did indulge every now and then. And one of the greatest benefits for me was: no headaches! EVER. Ahh, those were the days. But, unless it’s legalized in Texas or I move to a state that does have it legalized I won’t be touching it any time soon. Even then, I probably wouldn’t until after Emery left the nest. This is just how I feel about it. I can’t risk doing anything “illegal” because I have my daughter now. I wouldn’t ever do anything to jeopardize having her taken away or going to jail. 

So, if I’m not ashamed what’s with the “not too proud” feelings you ask? Well, I felt like a damn failure that’s why! After thinking about it and playing it over in my head (yea, I went as far as to day dream about it) I felt like I was weak. Not because I wanted to smoke to get rid of the damn migraine, but because THOUSANDS of women do what I’m doing right now without lighting up and much less with a spouse to help them! And here I was whining and complaining over a damn migraine. Here I was thinking how if I just had myself a mini bowl the pain would go away and I could get on with my evening. An evening that I had more than enough help to get through. THOUSANDS of women (and men) out there are doing this and more as single parents every day. 

So yea, I felt really, really small. I put on my favorite Kottonmouth Kings tunes, popped three Tylenol, and sucked it up. 

It's the Weekend, Yay?

This weekend I’ve made plans. And tomorrow, they WILL get done. I think. Then, I have 2 quizzes and homework due on Sunday, so I’ll be doing those tonight. AFTER, I’ve watched two of my favorite shows that I missed during the week. This is the plan for my weekend. Unfortunately, things never go as planned. My husband gets his ideas, Emery gets tired of being cooped up inside, then family get ideas, and I find myself packing us up and getting ready to head into town. Happens all of the time.

We found out that one of my husband’s cousin was on his way to Texas from California on Wednesday night. He arrived Thursday morning. So now we’re being invited to go spend Saturday with my husband’s family for a BBQ or dinner. He hasn't made up his mind yet, so we haven’t officially said yes. I know that my husband does want to see his cousin, but he also knows about the work load I have to finish. Plus, there was a lot that we had planned to do around the house. Still, it is his family. And I have a 5 Hour shot waiting for me in the car. I might just take it and do everything we had planned for tomorrow, tonight. Nothing some caffeine and a good playlist can't fix, right? 

This is going to be brutal. 

Wordless Wednesday

I Need 30 Hour Days For This!

Today I find out how well I did on my History exam and how I did on my 3rd Algebra quiz. Oh my...I am so nervous! Today I was also emailed my grades for my computer class and my worst grade was a 75. Ew. We have a practice midterm exam, and it’s 141 questions LONG. Not including the project. We have to learn this stuff because the actual exam will include everything on the practice one. The actual exam is next week. On top of that, I have two more assignments and two more quizzes due this weekend.

So what am I trying to get at with all of this boring nonsense? Well, I’m probably going to be MIA a lot this week. I have maybe one other post that I can set an auto-post for but other than that, I’ve got nothing! (scroll to the bottom if you don’t have time to read my excuses) My camera will not come back into my possession until tomorrow so I have no pictures to post. Then, we have a lot of yard work due to the flood this past weekend. Yup, flood. Our (my parent’s) houses were the only ones really effected because apparently our homes are built inside the only hole in our town. JOY. So everything smells gross, and the grass looks like it drowned. A lot of stuff floated into a ditch right across the street. Emery’s slide was NOT fun to fish out. The dogs need baths and spray downs. We have to bomb our house because when a lot of rain comes, so do the huge water roaches (ewwww!).Then, if the weather is good, I’ll be having myself a BIG “winter” cleaning and a good-will (HOPE is our local donation facility) haul. We have a lot of stuff we need to get rid of. 

So, to summarize this: I’m going to be really really busy. Hope everyone’s having a good week!  

My Addiction

I am without a camera (except for my phone) for a whole week. Eeep! This is going to be hard. LOL! Can you imagine a whole week of capturing NOTHING your child does? *serious face* Yea, I’m not kidding. My camera is pretty much glued to my face. But, last week my sister-in-law asked if she could borrow it, because she and some friends were going to see this K-POP show in New Jersey. I said yes. Then I thought about it, and started kicking myself in the ass for it. My camera was about to go to New Jersey without me, and to a concert. A pretty huge concert. The idea of my camera being tossed, or possibly trampled on by a bunch of girls dressed up like dolls...oh crap. Still, I had already said yes. So, on Friday morning, I dropped it off for her. Now, it’s not like a Canon Rebel, or a Nikon but it was a gift from my brother (and it was a bit expensive). This is the second one my brother has given me, the first one was stolen, so I’m a bit protective over it. But, my husband told her to take care of it, and if anything happened to it she’d either have to pay for repairs or replace it. Hopefully this will be a good lesson for me. One that involves me not being so attached to material things? I dunno, I just hope she takes care of it.

Speaking of material things, and what not. I know social networking sites aren’t “material” but they do take up A LOT of my time. Before, I used the excuse that we didn’t have internet at home, so I wanted a snazzy phone that would keep me “up to date”, and “in the know” of all things cool. I also wanted to keep refreshing my Facebook page just to see what everyone else was doing. Stalker, much? In my defense, it was my only connection to the outside, social world at the time. Still, I became addicted (you probably are too, admit it) to all of these social sites and blogs. Twitter, tumblr, blogger, wordpress, google +, parenting communities, Facebook, instagram, etc. etc. I realized, not too long ago, that quite a few things were really taking up a lot of my time. The above mentioned, definitely contributed to this. Well, now we have the internet at home and my phone is still getting the majority of the use. Laziness is the reason. I would rather check my phone than turn on my lap-top and log on. This has been a pretty big excuse for me to NOT delete any of my social networking accounts AND to not get rid of (but continue to want to upgrade) my already snazzy phone. So, I’m going to put myself through a test cleanse. I deleted my apps from my phone. *GASP* I will either have to use my mobile internet or actually log on to a computer to use them. After a month, the ones I use the least (if at all) will be the ones to go.

Don't get me wrong, I love technology and I love keeping up with everyone. I love blogs and reading about how others are living. I like posting on people’s walls, and getting to see new pictures! And I absolutely LOVE seeing what Rome has to say on a daily basis. He’s my secret husband. Shh! But, some of these sites I don’t use nearly enough to really justify keeping my accounts. Not only that, but it's taking time away from my family, from working out, and it just puts more of our information out there. I won’t be giving up my phone anytime soon, although we are down grading on minutes because we don’t use nearly as many as what we’re signed up for, but I will stop using it as much. If I’m not willing to get on the computer to check it, then I really don’t need it. And if I don’t use it, or miss it, I can probably go without it. Here's to my cleanse!

Enjoy your Saturday everyone!!

p.s. I'm replacing some pictures, and taking others down.

Hoping to have all of my images on one site, 

so I don't have to use photobucket, and picasa anymore. :-)

Sorry if some of the images disappear in the mean time. 

Vacation!

“I'm going going, back back, to Cali Cali”

So, after talking with the hubs, we decided to go ahead and take the vacation in JANUARY! He won’t get paid for his time off, but it’ll be the first of the month so my check will cover our bills, and then I’ll be getting paid for my vacation time. So we’ll still get a check for the week we miss. Yea, I was beyond excited! Then, when I tried to book the tickets on Tuesday there was drama with the bank. I had to wait 48 hours before being able to charge another pair of tickets. So on Wednesday morning, first thing, I got them! And I got the non-refundable kind so we wouldn’t be able to back out. Yup, I’m that sneaky.

We are staying for SEVEN days! Seven whole days!! I know it’s still 3 months away, but I’m so ready. Which will probably cause the time to drag on by, but in the end, it’ll be well worth the wait! So now, I’m in budget mode. We need to save every penny we have, and I tend to do just that. I’ve already figured out how much we need to set aside, and my dad said he’d throw in some money so we could rent a car. He told me to take Em to the beach. 

 :-)

Oceanside, Ca 2009

Now, we have to decided if we’re going to just show up and surprise our family, or at least tell one of them so none of the others make plans. Either way, I’m just so happy to get to see everyone again, and to go visit the city that started my life. I did a lot of growing up out in California. I had great times and bad ones there, but it was the first time for me to be out on my own. And the people I met, along with the ones I lived with, made my time there that much better.

Anza, Ca 2007

p.s. I'm fighting the urge to start 

packing at this very moment! LOL!

Our New Little SUV

So, we finally got a CAR! Wahoo!! And the gas gauge barely moves! I’m so freaking excited over this, y’all! You have NO idea. Ok, maybe some of you do. It’s a 2002 Ford Escape *twitch*. I know this is silly, but our family has been strictly Dodge and Chevrolet. When the economy went to crap though, my dad bought this old Honda (currently sidelined due to it needing some repairs), and recently he bought a small Nissan truck to commute to and from work. Both were less than $2,000 and saved a lot on gas. So that’s when our “brand straying” started. LOL! It’s nothing against Ford really, it’s just simply not been our preference. So, after the three weeks of searching for something decent, with low(ish) miles, dependable, and within our budget we came up REALLY short. I’m talking almost NOTHING. And what did come up either had way too many miles, was too small, or completely out of our budget.

This past Saturday, the guy offered to open up his place so I could come look at it. It’s not perfect, but it comes pretty damn close. No body damage, the interior has at most ONE stain that you hardly even notice, one of the small hub caps is missing, but other than that it’s pretty clean. And in all seriousness, I love it! It’s roomy, but still compact. Emery’s car seat fits and when she’s in it her feet don’t touch the back of the seat. It also has plenty of storage space in the back, and it’s so easy to handle. I think it’s perfect for us! The guy offered us a nice extended “warranty” that he didn’t even have to offer and we get free oil changes on him so long as we go through the local Ford-house! How great is that?

I’m so grateful for my parents. Without them, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity. I’d still be spending $200 a week on gas. I truly feel blessed to have the help that I do. And I know this is silly but the best part for me, is knowing that I have my OWN car now. I don’t have to ask anyone if I can use theirs. I can come and go as I please. We can now plan a trip without worrying if we’ll need to rent a car or borrow one. And it’s just a nice feeling. I never knew I’d be so happy and thankful for being able to get my own vehicle. 

Wordless Wednesday

Bummer

First, let me just say that I finally got to go see The Lion King in 3D! This past Saturday my husband suggested we have a date night. With class, work, and pretty much being broke we haven’t really gone out and done anything. So, we decided to go to a late showing of 50/50 after my mom got out of church. But, this mom wasn’t sure if she could make it to 12 am without falling asleep. That’s when I saw that the Lion King was still showing!! I thought I had missed it because they said it was only going to be in theaters for two weeks, but apparently they decided to keep it longer. So in we went. Can you believe us? We have a night to go out in order to have some adult time, and I pick a cartoon in 3D to go watch? LOL! It was awesome though. I loved it. It’d been awhile since we’d seen it, and it totally took me back. My husband said he really enjoyed it too. I was reminded of how much I love, love, love "The Lion King". Now, I’m pretty sure I’m going to get it in 3D, just so Emery can experience it when she gets a bit older.

After we left the theater we got some fast food and headed home. This is when we talked about maybe taking a trip out to California over my break between semesters. My vacation time at work starts in December, and classes don’t start up again until the end of January. Emery will still be ONE, so she can still fly for free. But when I looked at dates, the prices at the end of December had gone up, leaving us with January as our only option. I talked to my husband about the dates, and he said we needed to start saving money. So, I bought our tickets! Unfortunately, my excitement was short lived. My husband called me and told me that it was too fast, I shouldn’t have bought the tickets because it now looked like he might not get his vacation time till after February. I felt like someone had given me a shiny new toy and then took it away as they shoved me to the ground.

So, I had to cancel our flights. *insert lip quivering, teary eyed face here* Thankfully, Travelocity lets you cancel your tickets within 24 hours for free if you didn't buy the "insurance". I’m sooo bummed now though. I was already picturing getting to see our family, Kami’s new addition, and the beach. Yes, even though it would be freezing, I’d still take Emery to the beach. I want her to see it. I pictured getting to see our old friends, and at least one night of cooking out, beer, and a fire. I could almost taste the saltiness, and breathe in that deep amazing “mountain” air. I had already pictured my double double with animal style fries. *sigh* DAMN YOU, HUSBAND’S WORKPLACE!! I know I should be grateful he has a job. And I should be grateful to have saved up enough money to even think about going for a visit. But what’s the use if we can’t even go because of work?

I’m not going to lie, I’m a little devastated. I really hope that this changes and we can go. I really really want to go visit. I miss it so much. And I need a vacation! Hopefully they tell my husband he can go, and that he does get his vacation. Because there were only 5 tickets left at that price for those dates, and I really really want us to be able to get two of them!