Did you see that????

It was 2009 & it passed at the speed of light! hahaha Really, where'd it go?

So, I'm just under 2 months from my wedding & stressing a bit. I know it'll fall into place (so they keep telling me) but I have ALOT to do. Most of it revolves around packing up my house & moving it to Kevin's. I have managed to sell all the furniture that needs to go. I'll donate the dining room table & toss the bed when the time comes.

I plan to move the cat over to Kevin's about 2 weeks prior to the wedding so he can adapt before we run off to Vegas! Some of you may wonder why we aren't living together already. I mean we aren't teenagers, right?!? I had a very odd conversation with my Mom about a month or so before she died. She pretty much gave me a laundry list of things to remember & one of them was to "not live with someone again before you get married." So that's why. We stay together most of the week but not full time.

I got my truck back all fixed but still need to take care of the door. It might have had an accident with the garage wall. Hmmmm. Yea. lol

We had a nice Christmas with Kevin's family. Ate lots of good eats for several days & are currently in detox before we start over again! NYE we have a VU men's b-ball game & are just grabbing a quick bite to eat before that. Then for my BIRTHDAY (New Year's Day) we are going to a brazilian steakhouse then hitting the boat (Blue Chip casino) for some gambling & fun! I'll be the big 3-8 & am feeling great about that! I'm considering stopping at 40 though! hahaha

On Saturday, we have another VU game & my family's Christmas too! The onslaught of food just won't stop until Monday & I say so be it! I'm still training, doing my cardio & eating well on the "off" party days. It's all that can be expected during the holidays! This is life right?

Who's ready for THE BIGGEST LOSER??? Don't forget they start again on Tuesday!!!!! I'll resume date night with my best friend then as well!

I think that's it for now. I *hope* to be better about blogging in the new year. I know things are becoming busy with the wedding, moving, etc so alot of it may turn into me bitching about something, venting or whatever but that's what this is for right? lol

While I'm at it...what are your GOALS for the new year? Not resolutions...we girl's set goals!!!! I think mine are self-explanatory! haha

Happy New Year to you all!!!!! Catch you in 2010! It's going to be a GREAT year ;)

When it rains, it pours!

I thought I better get in here before the hecklers start leaving random comments on my Facebook page! haha

The weekend was good! We got our grown up furniture delivered for our bedroom. It looks amazing! We still have the old bedding on there because I want to save our new bedding until we are married. Some think that's odd but it's what I want :) Some of our shower gifts have made their way to through the house like the downstairs bathroom decorations, some kitchen items (like our new dishes, mixing bowls, scrapers, glassware, etc) but things like the waffle iron & a few others will wait. We have to save some things for marriage right? ;)

A couple updates...

1) First & foremost, my cousin's little girl remains hospitalized in Atlanta. They are testing her for something called PTLD & they say that is the most serious condition that occurs post transplant. If that is what they find, then she'll likely be diagnosed with lymphoma. Our prayer is that it's just an infection. Did I mention that she's going to be 4 in January? She had a heart transplant when she was just a couple months old. Please continue praying for her!!!

2) I am still without my vehicle. The poor Blazer was in sad condition with no heat. Apparently, the heater core was just clogged & that was a "cheap" fix, however, it was discovered that the poor girl also had a leaky intake valve. Thankfully they found that before it blew (resulting in a cracked engine block) BUT that is a pricey fix. And it HAS to be fixed. So the grand total for repairs is $778!!! My Dad has been VERY generous giving me my Christmas present early & more than he'd given me otherwise. Just really bad timing for the repairs with Christmas coming & me needing to do stuff for the wedding!

In other news, I'm starting to feel a bit stressed about the wedding. I have alot to do just related to the wedding but also related to getting my house cleaned up. I think we have someone that will stay there so it's not sitting lonely but that's not a done deal yet. But regardless, I have to get stuff cleaned up & out of there! I listed a dining room set on Craigslist, sold the mini-fridge & probably the compact chest freezer. I also have a fair amount of Mary Kay stock that I want to get rid of! If anyone is interested, leave me a comment & I'll get with you! I'm just selling stuff at wholesale (my cost) along with shipping!

I guess that's all for now! Nothing much else going on other than getting ready for Christmas! Kevin's sister comes in next weekend & the madness will begin! Woot! Our last "non-married" Christmas.

Hope your week is off to a great start!!!

I heart....Netflix?!?

Oh yea, my recent addiction has become to Netflix. I signed us up after the local Blockbuster closed up shop. That left ONE video place on each side of town & as expected they are swamped! So that was our best option. Well, with that purchase, I've become addicted to Dexter, watched a few movies online & we've been getting our weekly movie via them too! It's so fun to be able to just watch it online. I started Bigger, Faster, Stronger yesterday afternoon & will finish it up today!

Last night we had a date night planned with some good friends but things happened & we only ended up having dinner, came home & vegged out. I think we were both out by 9pm! hahaha Party people! As a result though, I woke up around 430am, tried to fall back asleep, failed & got out of bed at 5am so Kevin could sleep. At the moment, I'm waiting for Indiana Furniture to deliver our bedroom suite.

On tap for the day is a VU men's b-ball game at 2pm then we are "pre-gaming" with friends before heading to a holiday/birthday party with Kevin's co-workers. Should be fun.

Today is my best friend's birthday & I truly thank God for every day she has been in my life. She saved me from some dark days after my Mom died. I know that. She's the one that I watch Biggest Loser with every week!

On another note, I am asking for prayers for my cousin's little girl, Hannah. She was born with a heart defect & as a result had a heart transplant when she was just a few months old. My cousin & his wife were informed yesterday that she has a spot on her lung. They are uncertain if it's an infection or cancer so they've taken her to the hospital where they did her transplant for further testing. My Mom was very fond of little Hannah & talked of her ALOT! When Mom died, all memorial contributions were given to Glenn & Krissy to help pay for Hannah's medical expenses. Mom wouldn't have had it any other way. So today, I'm heartbroken & asking for prayer for her little body. She is unable to battle colds or anything else like the rest of us so only God's strength can carry her through this. I suspect he has big plans for Hannah!

Finally, I wanted to share a picture that a high school friend posted on FB (some of you may have seen it already.) It's of my freshman pom squad....our parents actually. It was a holiday party for the squads (poms & cheerleaders) & our parents thought it would be funny to not only wear our uniforms but do one of our routines! So so fun & a memory we all cherish! My Mom is in the gold turtleneck & my lifelong friend's Dad is in the white wig. Both have now passed (within a year of each other) so we just cherish this memory of our parents being their usual goofy selves!

Enjoy your weekend friends & don't forget to count your blessings!!!

Random-ness!

Okay, I have some random thoughts swirling through my head so here they are in no particular order.

1) My truck has no heat. Great when it's 2 degrees with -19 windchill on the way to work. It's a safe bet that I've been in my long wool coat, scarf & hoodie all day long. My Dad & the other guy in the office spent half the day trying to fix it but with little success. They got it to warm only a bit but not enough to survive the winter. Cost to repair? About $1200. Not in the budget.

2) Why do food bloggers only seem to eat "clean" foods? I never seen anyone eat a Little Debbie. Am I the only one that has the Christmas ones in the freezer? lol I know it's a long list of ingredients, trans fat, sugar up the rear..but they are GOOD!!!
3) I don't like winter yet I continue to live in the Midwest. I even moved to Vegas but came back!

4) Did you know that people from the Chicago-land region have an apparent accent? We do but we do NOT sound like the Bears SuperFans from SNL. Close but not that bad.

5) The A&E show, Hoarders, makes me sick to my stomach & sad at the same time. I'm a tidy person with a little clutter but that show makes me look like a neat freak!

6) Our bedroom furniture is being delivered on Saturday! It's the first time that Kevin & I will have owned a full set (we both had pieces only.)

7) My Dad brought lunch today! He made a batch of cabbage, noodles & sausage (using Bob Evans breakfast sausage.) Soooooooo good!

8) I think that's all.......

Happy Almost Friday!!!!

Biggest Loser of All Time!

Wow, pretty big title?!? Well, Danny was a pretty big man. Here's the full recap scoop from People Magazine. You really just want to know my thoughts though don't you? ;)

Where to start??? How about the "at-home" players? Well, I have to say that did a good job of dragging out the show for 2 hours. I was excited to see Antoine looking fine as ever! And hurray for his engagement. Very very cool! I really thought he had the prize but then Julio stepped up. Very shocked because he was such a slacker on the ranch....whiney too. My friend & I thought he looked cuter heavy but now just looks a bit creepy! lol Moving on. I have to admit that as much as I did NOT care for Tracy this season, I felt she looked the best of the girls. She had some muscle on her & yes she had sunken face but we all know that they follow contest prep diets the week leading up to the finale. She'll fill back out. Rebecca takes the at-home prize though. Not a fan of her hair AT ALL & I felt that she was just too thin. Anyone find it odd that she barely spoke? And are her & Daniel still together? Overall, everyone did amazing & it was nice to see they continued their journey!

Next up....of course, I was pulling for Amanda. Her journey has been similar to mine but I knew she didn't stand a chance against Rudy & Danny! It was amazing to see her follow through from finale to finale though. She's such a beautiful girl & I hope she starts living life! The boys looked amazing as well & I'm so floored by Danny's results. He lost HALF of himself! I did that once myself. From my heaviest to show day #1. I dropped exactly half of myself. That was not sustainable of course but it was fun to do anyway :)

Let's not forget the most generous & amazing offer made to Shay by Subway! I really feel for her having lost her Mother. That goes without saying but I'm so proud that she's continued with what she was doing. It takes more guts to press on in my opinion & that's just what she's done.

And then Abby who met her goal of losing 100 pounds. But in reality she gained so much more back in the process. She has a sparkle in her eyes again & just seems as if the weight of the world has been lifted. I cannot fathom going through what she did but know from my own experiences that you just lose yourself...even when you don't realize it's happening.

It was a great finale & while I didn't get as excited about this season as I've done in the past, I watched every single episode. It's such an amazing reminder for me to keep going, keep living & really stay focused on why I do what I do!

Life is for living people!

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

And ps...I know I use that pic alot but it seems so fitting! Are you waiting for tomorrow? Why???????

It's heeeerrrrreeeeee!!!!

Tonight's the BIG night. The Biggest Loser finale!!! I cannot believe how fast this season went! I was not as into it as I've been most seasons but I have to admit that the progress this season has far outweighed (no pun intended) the previous seasons!

Who are you pulling for? Me? Amanda, of course. I see pieces of myself in her. Did you vote? I did..all 10 just for her! I am not a fan of Liz!

Back tomorrow with a recap of my thoughts on tonight's show! Can't wait to see how everyone has done!!!!!

ps..did you catch the "where are they now" special a couple weeks ago?

Blinded by the lights...

The picture is a tribute to the super tacky holiday decorations we saw on our way to the Butler game on Saturday. I swear this year it just looks like Christmas threw up on some house! Not even remotely matching..just a hodge podge of...well, everything!

This weekend we had a nice time in Indianapolis where we headed for a super fast trip (basically overnight) so we could catch the Valparaiso University men's b-ball team play their conference rivals...the Butler Bulldogs. It was a spankfest as expected (Butler is nationally ranked) but we led for a bit. Always exciting at Hinkle Fieldhouse! Lots of history in there!

We hit the game, grabbed some dinner downtown afterwards & headed back to the hotel for bed. We slept in the old fashioned style of Luci & Desi with separate beds. They were soooo small that we could spread out & be hanging over the side! It was funny but we slept better not being smashed in like sardines. Sunday, we hit the Fashion Mall where I intended to grab a piece of Cheesecake Factory's Peppermint cheesecake. Would you believe they are sold out already!?! I just got the email Tuesday they were available! So I nabbed a piece of the Red Velvet kind & stuck it in my freezer. A few bites here & there is all I need. Shopped Trader Joe's & headed home.

Last night we watched The Proposal & LOVED it! I'm a huge fan of Sandra Bullock & was not let down!

Back to the grind today & that started off with a training session & some intense cardio! Good times! It's snowing & cold here so yay for that. *sarcasm*

I hope you survived your weekend! I cannot believe Christmas is coming so fast which also means so is my birthday! Times flying....

Happy Monday!

I know, I know.

Yes, I'm a super slacktastic lazy blogger! Sometimes it's just that I have so much to say & don't know where to start, others I have nothing to say or don't feel like sharing & then those off chances where I'm just 100% lazy thus don't feel like typing!

So I'm feeling well enough & started training again this week. The whole cardio bunny thing was not fun but at least it was moving. I'm soooooo extremely sore this week from the workouts though & I've been walking funny for days! I think I need to start taking something to help aid recovery. Glutamine or something? Any thoughts on that? Do you guys take anything to help muscle recovery?

Thanksgiving was a great day! My Dad & his lady friend (lol) came to dinner at Kevin's parents. It was so great for them to have time to get better acquainted again. They met at the shower & we had dinner that night but this was more personal so it was awesome. Everyone had a great time & our families will mesh very well together. I'm really blessed with that & I know alot of people don't get that.

That Saturday Kevin's little niece (who's now 5 months) was baptized. It was such a beautiful ceremony & she was so good! We had dinner at a pizza place afterwards & had fun! We took family pictures & in typical fashion for Kevin's family this is the first take...

My hilarious FIL-to-be said something really funny & a tad inappropriate thus we all busted out laughing! It's just what you'd expect from this group! lol

On the wedding front, we are just under 3 months away & I'm really shocked that it's coming so fast! I'm not ready in the least bit with so much to still be done but I'm soooo ready to be Kevin's wife! I need to get shoes & have them for my first fitting next month. Coordinate the cocktail party after the wedding, figure out favors for the at home reception, invitations for the reception, etc. All of the reception stuff will have to be mostly done before we leave for the wedding too! AND we'll have a tasting for the reception in the next month or so where we'll also make decisions on the cake! YIKES! I think that's enough because I'm freaking myself out! hahaha

Anyone still watching Biggest Loser? Totally blown away that Danny dropped 59 pounds in 60 days! Still having some newbie effect going on there. It's not the most healthy way to do it but I think he's amazing for pressing on. They have to be exhausted!!! Big FINALE this week! Can't wait!

One last picture for your entertainment. It was taken at dinner the night of my shower. My aunt was being a goof so I just played along! lol More soon.....