2 Peas Challenge- What did you think life had in store for you? Where did you think you'd be today? What surprises has life brought you?

Ooh I love the interesting questions.... I am now at the ripe old age of 27. I thought by now my life would include a husband, and two little kiddies. I thought I'd be a stay at home mom, with a small side job that was more meaningful than necessary. I'll never forget a lady at work asking me one day what my goal was in life -and when I responded with 'I want to be a stay at home mom' -she laughed and said 'honey, that's not a goal'. There were a few that came to my defense, and I do honestly believe it is a goal. It's something that you have to fight hard for. In this day and age, families are barely making it on two incomes, let alone one. So I do think it's a goal. I want my children raised by me. If that means I have to cut back on this high speed internet connection, and on the frivolous things I purchase, then so be it.

Alas, it is not heading the way I'd planned. Tom and I have spent many, many nights discussing this. He just doesn't think we'd be able to make it. He wants to be able to provide our children with things we'd missed out on- vacations every year, the newest clothes, the best cars. He's not a very materialistic person, but it's important to him that our children don't miss out on that kind of thing, so we're trying to meet halfway. It's such a hard thing to back down from what you've wanted all along. I love our parents, but I don't want our children raised by them. I want them raised by us.

I'm not saying I wanted to stay home for their entire lives. Just until they were all safely in school during the day. Then I'd go back to work and be a teacher. But it doesn't appear that is going to happen. I mean, who knows, right? Maybe, down the line, we will be in a financial place where we can do that. We are just preparing for that not being the case. Not that I think our incomes will be amazing as teachers. But at least there will be two of them.

Wow. I finally have all of my thank you cards done. That was a lot of writing and I'm sure that some of it is just not pretty. lol. I also started school for Fall Thursday. Tom got stuck in traffic and couldn't make it :( Bummer. But our professor seems really really cool. Very bohemian, gypsy-ish looking woman. Very smart. Dr. McKeand. Prounounced Mccain. Uber cool. Tomorrow we have two classes back to back. Here's to hoping that we don't have some horrible assholes. I really wish we'd have gotten on the ball a little earlier and registered. We completely missed out on online classes, which is a huge disappointment. We do surprisingly well in them.

So Dr McKeand was talking to us about how we grow up hearing certain types of language and how it's natural for us to use that same vocabulary. Interesting. Will start to work on bringing my vocabulary back up to par because otherwise I'm in for a world of trouble. Lol, words like worsh or ain't. Sorry mom, love you, but you use them alot ;) She was also talking to us about how deep, analytical thinkers write better. This absolutely makes sense. I've been so caught up in internet and chat writing for the past few years that I've really let my thoughts just turn to mush. I just don't think you get as deep usually on the internet. Lots of words like LOL and not so many good words like omniscient or ubiquitous. Mmm. Those are two of my favorite words. Say them aloud.....don't they just sound awesome?

Anyway, she wants us to start thinking about our mini-research paper that she's having us do to prepare for the 132 course. She's very cool in that she wants us to write something that we feel strongly about, assuming we'll write better when it's something important to us. Absolutely true. I'm not sure what I'm choosing yet, but I've tossed a couple of ideas around. Stem cell research, breast cancer awareness, the lack of good health benefits in the US, Walmart and how I wish they'd go under with all their evil practices, why with all our technology no one can come up with a pill to make you lose 100 pounds overnight.......you know, the important things.

Wow. Sunday was my bridal shower. I absolutely had an awesome time. There was a few times I thought I'd pull my hair out because my aunt was being a bit demanding about how she wanted things, lol, but other than that it was so so nice. My mom, Jennifer, aunt Rhonda, Uncle Jim, Debbie and Uncle Jim's sister were there at 9 a.m. to get the food going and set up the tables. Cheryl and Karen arrived at 11 as planned. Dawn was running a bit late, so since I was picking her up and my mom and Jennifer back up after they'd stopped home to have a shower- we were all late. But still early. Just not as early as Rhonda would have liked.

People started to arrive, and of course I was meeting everyone at the door and introducing my mom to his family and his mom to mine. Had to pop an ativan to get through that one. I was really so nervous. It was horrible at first, and then I finally started to loosen up a bit. We played a couple games, which were really fun. Actually, the game that Rhonda thought that no one would like- everyone loved. They had a lot of fun with that one.

The food was so good. And there was so much of it. Chicken, ham, mostacolli, salad, bread and rolls, corn, veggies, fruits, cheesy potatoes, buttered red potatoes and the deserts were insane. Chris' mom made our cake....beautiful...will add pics. On top of that, we had three different kinds of brownies, 3 cheesecakes, pineapple upside down cake, apple pie, banana bread w/ cream cheese, ambrosia. It was just endless.

As were the presents. I swear it must have taken me so long to open all of them! But they played Bingo while I was doing it, so at least that took off some of the pressure. Rhonda wanted me standing up (NO!) and kept coming to tell me that no one could see me and they were complaining. Debbie Laginess (not cousin Deb of course) actually stuck up for me and said, hey, it's your shower, you do what you want. I swear, if I'd have had to open them standing up I'd have probably passed out. Seriously.

There were probably about 50 people there. The guys came at the end and we got pictures with them and everything. I need to go into the gifts and post some pics but I am beat. Will update tomorrow.....

2 Peas challenge: Summer questions

1.What was your favorite summer event? The Taylor fireworks. It's the one fireworks set that we all get together for and never miss. Much fun.
2.Favorite picture of the summer? This one I took of my best friends' daughter Shannon. What a little angel...
3.Favorite movie of the summer? Click, for sure. I'll say it again, see this movie!
4.Best song of the summer? Mmmmm.... good question. I'm a music nut so there's probably a ton of songs I loved this summer. But, I can name a summer fave - Kenny Chesney's Summertime.
5.Did you go on vacation, where? Unfortunately no. We were planning on at least going camping at Lake Michigan like last year but Tom ended up going back to work before we worked anything out.

I'm so excited! I reserved my room at the Hyatt for CKU-Detroit! I've never been to a CKU so I had to jump all over that. It's in April and I can not wait. I hope I don't somehow miss registration. That's my luck. Wouldn't that just stink!

2 Peas challenge: If you could go back in time, what moment in your life would you like to re-live?

Wow. What a thought provoking question. There is one moment from my childhood where I hurt my grandmother's feelings that I wish I could go back and change. But I can't write about it without having a mini-breakdown, crying jag so I'll think of something else. Probably the day I decided I'd had enough and dropped out of school. I thought I was so smart and I would never regret it. But, of course, I do. I went back for my G.E.D. and got that, but it's not the same. I wish I would have stuck it out and went to college right from high school. Being in college now, while taking care of a billion other responsibilities is HARD.

In other news-

My bridal shower is Sunday. I'm really, really getting excited. And nervous because I really don't like opening gifts in front of people. :) Guess I don't really have a choice!

This poor guy has been hanging around our house for a while now. He would disappear for a few days and then come back. He was clean and everything, but something wasn't right about how often he was outside. Well, he hadn't shown up in a few days and so we decided he must have went home. But here he was again three days ago.

Poor thing was just starving. We fed him and kinda kept an eye out to see if he was heading anywhere else too. We brought him in today and got him cleaned up. He slept most of the day, then checked out the house and the restroom facilities (hehe) before trying to get close with Sabre. Hopefully they will be good friends.

My father also said that tomorrow is the day. Please God. Please. We could all really use that.

Awesome, Unbelievable opportunity............

This is probably the most exciting thing that's happened to me this year (being that Tom proposed at the end of last year lol)..... So, he's working at the magazine now with Greg. He's a project coordinator -did I blog about this at all?- I forget. Well, regardless, he's been there for a few weeks now. He's really doing well and enjoys it immensely. Much better than sweating his butt off in two shirts at good ole ProCoil. Anywho. Polo's and khaki's are his current deal, and he's really digging that.

Okay, we're at the bar for John's birthday and Tom mentions to Greg that I'm supremely jealous because he's working at a magazine and I've always wanted to write for one. Greg offers me a deal to write a few articles. I'm thinking 'okay, he's drunk, he won't even remember this on Monday'..... low and behold, the next week, his editor sends a package home with Tom including two projects (assignments), a deadline, and a contract. Can I cuss here? It's mine, right? Holy Shit!

Never thought I would have an opportunity like this and I'm totally doubting myself. I mean, I've become so used to 'internet writing'.....you know what I mean, where it's all casual and funny and you don't really check that everything is precisely right. So jumping back into writing the way it's supposed to be done is going to be jarring. Who knows if I might bust in on an article with a LOL! Wouldn't that be embarrassing for my editor to see? Wow. That in itself is awesome. Saying 'my editor'. She's not mine, but she's editing my work so I guess I can say that?

The contract is currently only for two projects, but hopefully if she doesn't have to totally re-write everything I send in, there will be more. This is beyond exciting. What a crazy opportunity. I never thought I'd have one of those 'it's good to know people' moments...... but this is as close as I'll ever get. THANKS A BILLION GREG! And thanks Tom for having the faith in me to even suggest it. You never stop amazing me. I love you.