A Little Sneak Peak!

Last Friday I had such a wonderful day! I only worked from 7 -11 & then I headed home to put together a yummy lasagna with spinach (I'd never done that before & it turned out so delish!). then my friends Stephanie, Becky, & Carol came by & we piled in with my mom & all of our dresses to meet with Beth at the bridal shop for one huge fitting party! It was so fun - visiting, catching up, wearing our dresses :-) I was so happy to put my dress on & see how it still fit, etc. I wasn't worried about it being too small since I've lost some weight this winter due to illness & the race, but I was a little worried that it got big in awkward places, if you know what I mean ;-)

Anyway, I thought I'd post one of the pics that Carol sent to me. It gives you a preview of my dress (don't worry; Mike never checks out my blog) & Steph is in the pic with me wearing her bridesmaid get-up. I think we look rather cute!

Really all they have to do to alter my dress is take up the shoulders. One benefit of being 5' 10" is that they never have to hem your formals. If I was the slightest bit taller they would have to order me a long. I'm super glad I can just wear satin slippers so my feet will be comfy. I also got some white flip flops for the reception.

After we got fitted, we did a little shopping, then some of the girls had to head for home. Steph & Carol were able to come back to the house for our yummy lasagna dinner. We had a great time around the table visiting & laughing. The Lord does bless us immensely when He gives us friends. I have some of the very best in the world!

In other wedding news, we worked on our massive pile of invitations last night & with minimal effort this evening, we should have them finished up & in the mail tomorrow...b/c

tomorrow marks the six week point!

I can hardly believe it. There are still tons of details to hammer out, but I've gotten some things accomplished. I have submitted my vacation request at my full-time job & I'm going to take care of the part-time gig tonight. The first shower is tomorrow. I'm excited but deep down I feel kind of funny. I didn't help plan a bit of it, I haven't prepared any of the food, & I feel guilty about people buying us stuff. Is that weird? It just feels strange not helping out & being the center of attention. And I have a raging case of poison ivy on my legs and not a single skirt that will cover it. The wardrobe dilemma is getting dire. The doctor is supposed to call me in a prescription tonight. Will the poison be gone by morning? That would be SUPERB!

We also picked up our engagement pics this week. We got a free 11x13. There is something super scary about seeing your own face that size. Anybody agree? I think Mike looks handsome & I look stupid. He thinks I look beautiful & he looks stupid. We are indeed a match made in heaven, are we not? ;-)

Am I am so super tempted to check our registries online. Isn't that awful of me? Someone else confess right quick that they did the same thing!

That's about all I've got for today...I'm so glad it's Friday. Even with the holiday I have worked far more than normal this week (36 hours at one job & 24 at the other). I'm tired, a little moody, itchy, & so ready for two whole days off!

What are your plans for this weekend?

What A Crazy Dream!

Lately I have been having some really crazy dreams. I'm not sure why, but I go through cycles like this every once in a while (especially if I'm having acid reflux problems - isn't that a weird connection?). Anyway, last night I dreamt that I was kind of blue, so Mike suggested we go to the mall for some fun. That is just crazy b/c he hates the mall & although I do not hate it, the mall is not somewhere I would choose to go to cheer myself out of a funk. Anyway, we went to the mall & in one of the less busy hallways a band was set up playing Eagles tunes. As we got closer we realized it really was the Eagles playing tunes at our podunk little mall! The stranger thing was that no one else was really paying them any attention but Mike & I were all excited - the Eagles! Live! Right in front of us! As we stood there listening they invited me to play drums for them. Hahahaha! I have no rhythm whatsoever & haven't the slightest clue how to play drums but of course I hopped right up there & tried. It was pathetic, they were disappointed with my skills, and that's when I woke up.

Where do you think that came from? What are some crazy dreams that you have had?

Update On My No Spending Week

Well, I've been trying super hard not to spend any money this week. I'm sure some of you more frugal people are thinking how hard can it be to go for five days without buying anything? I didn't think it would be that hard either, but I was wrong. When Madi had her kindergarten graduation I had the impulse to buy her a few little cut flowers. I resisted. I joined inboxdollars recently & they had a paid email deal from vistaprint for return address labels. I need those for all the thank you notes I'm going to have to write & rehearsal dinner invitations I'm going to have to mail. So I ordered them. They were free except for shipping (which was less than $4). And if it doesn't post to my credit card by the end of the week, I'm not going to count the purchase for this week...heehee, I'm a cheater! I also had to buy a couple of other things for the wedding. I've decided that's rule #2 - anything that needs to be purchased for the wedding can still be bought without breaking the challenge. My real goal with this exercise is to cut out the miscellaneous things that I pick up along the way - a coffee, soda, or extra items at the grocery store/drug store that really could wait until a better time to buy. Basically, no unplanned purchases b/c in my world unplanned = unbudgeted. And there is some flux in my budget, but it needs to be reigned in a bit if you know what I mean.

So that's the update. Not totally crashing & burning and not totally acing it either. Somewhere in the middle is good for now. I'm sure I'll try this again at some point ;-)

A Lovely Discovery

I'm not sure if any of you out there have tried them, but these little C*lgate Wisps are great! I get overcome by the urge to brush my teeth a lot (a side effect of my braces days) & I don't keep a toothbrush & toothpaste with me at all times. I had a coupon for these little wisp dudes (which I combined with an extra bucks thing so I got them for free basically!) & I keep them in my purse. They are super minty & the handle end has a wonderful flosser type deal on it to help get your teeth even super cleaner. An excellent discovery!

Really???

I'm a silly girl because I regularly check the nuptials in the Sunday paper. I'm getting so old that I usually don't know anyone that is listed in there (truthfully I see a lot of younger siblings of kids I knew in school - yikes!). Anyway, getting our engagement picture taken is one thing that has been on the list since I got the ring. I wanna have an announcement in the paper! So I called a new photography place in town this morning in order to make us an appointment for tomorrow evening. The place, which shall remain nameless, usually has a special for a minimal amount of pics in one pose for $9.95. Perfect! I don't want pages and pages of pics in a million poses. Just a couple of pics. That will do just fine, thank you. So I called. Told her I needed an appointment for engagement pics. Gave my name & selected a time. Then she asks me if we intend to use the picture in the Sunday paper for an announcement. I said of course - isn't that what engagement pics are for? She then kindly informed me that their pics are copyrighted & to get permission to print a pic in the paper we would have to purchase a much larger package that had tons of stuff we didn't want that costs $69.95. I kindly told her to cancel our appointment so that I could check other options. I was totally surprised although I probably shouldn't have been. Just seems incredibly greedy to me.

So I made another call. Asked the Lord to give us another option. This well known picture taking establishment has no such requirement to publish a picture in the Sunday paper. The girl almost laughed when I asked her about it - like she thought such a thing was ridiculous. Thankfully I am reasonably expecting our engagement photos to cost around $15. Yay! Now I just gotta pray for dry weather so that I can straighten my hair & get it to be not frizzy. Pray with me people, it's a big request ;-)

Harumphhhh!

Unfortunately, this has been me today. I have just been grumpy, grumpy, grumpy! I am beginning to feel a little pressure with the wedding planning; some simple decisions that have needed to be made are not turning out to be so simple & all of the folks involved aren't just agreeing with the bride (it's not Mike & it's not really a big deal). I'm just feeling grumpy about it. Then at work today I gave myself the most ginormous paper cut under my thumb nail! Feel free to cringe - I almost screamed when I did it.

One of my co-workers told me that his grandma always used to say, "You're fine; there's always someone else out there who has it worse than you." I think his grandma was probably right. I can have the perspective that things are ok b/c surely someone else has more problems than me. I thought about it for a while then decided that when I have that perspective, my feeling better depends on someone else (although an imagined someone else) to feel worse. So I decided I was going to try to think like this instead - there's always something to be grateful for. The Lord has blessed me with too many good things to list. I've been trying to make a list in my head for a while now & it's very long & it's helping me to feel not quite so grumpy ;-)

This evening I get to go see my little niece Madison graduate from Kindergarten. That's something to be grateful for - she is getting so big & this child has always been lots of fun...never a dull moment when Madi is around!

The Nope, No Way, Not Doing It Week

This week I have decided to embark on a little challenge:

The Nope, No Way, Not Doing It Week.

Which is code for Holy Cow, I've been spending way too much money!

The Challenge Rules are:

*I am not allowed to spend any money other than two planned purchases (thread to alter the kitchen curtains, engagement pictures)

Hmmm...actually, I guess that is the only rule since my objective is to feed the pig & make him fat, maybe cause him to dance a little. *grin*

I'm just wondering...does it work this way for any of you? When I slip in one area of discipline it's like sliding down a slippery slope. I start spending freely, then I start eating freely, wasting time, not exercising, skipping normal daily tasks like making my bed or packing my lunch...

I'm hoping that someone will agree that it works that way for them, too or I'm gonna feel like a horrible lazy slug. *hint, hint - leave a comment & commiserate 'cause I don't want to feel like a horrible lazy slug!

A Wonderful Mother's Day

I think this year Mother's Day was one of the best I can remember. Our church had a Mother-Daughter Choir sing "My Mother's Gentle Love." I remember that song from ages ago when I was totally into all things Patch the Pirate. As I stood there with my Mom, Grandma, Aunt Ruth, Beth, & Madi (& a whole bunch of other ladies), it occurred to me that we had four generations of our family there together. How sweet! The Lord has really blessed & kept my family; I'm so grateful for how He has worked in us all. Not usually one to get emotional, I was actually tearful as the lyrics ran through my mind. My Momma does see the best in me, she does wipe my tears away, she has taught me of God's tender care, she reminds me to keep my focus on the eternal. She's such a good Momma! Even though I don't usually get all teary like that, once I start it can be an all day thing. The message yesterday morning wasn't about Mother's Day; it was a continuation of a wonderful study we've been doing in the book of Mark. We are at the part just before Jesus is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. I was impressed once again with the weight of realizing how Jesus suffered with my sin. His pain wasn't really from the physical torture of the cross; His pain was from the burden of my sin. Yep, I got tearful. Thanks to God for His gift of salvation!
After church I went to Mom & Dad's to join them, Beth, Brennan, Caleb & Madi for lunch. We tried to set things up so Mom wouldn't have to do too much cooking. Dad grilled & I made some cheesy potatoes. Along with some other quick veggie sides, we enjoyed a fabulous meal followed by too many dessert options (as always, it's impossible to leave M&D's hungry!). Then I got to give Mom her gift from me & Mike. Quite a while ago I mentioned in a post that Mike & I wanted to give our moms a Kitchen Aid Mixer as their BIG GIFT for the year (counting for Mother's Day, Birthday, & Christmas). So we gifted our Mommas with their mixers this weekend! It was so fun! Mike's mom wasn't too surprised b/c we had to consult with her about what color she would want. She can't wait to make mashed potatoes ;-) My mom was kind of surprised. When Dad hauled the box in the house she looked at me & said, "oh no, you didn't!" so she had already guessed what it was. She is IMPOSSIBLE to surprise! My dad's first comment was, "That thing will stand up to a batch of Divinity!" so we all know what they will be making as part of their Christmas Candy layout this year!

What a great day it was, reflecting on how the Lord has blessed us with the Mommas we have. I wouldn't trade mine for her weight in gold. Another thing that got me all choked up yesterday was the thought that of all the moms I know, I know that they are all trying their best with their kids. They all love being moms; they all take their job very seriously. None of them will do everything right, but the beautiful thing is that God's grace can cover those shortcomings. Whatever we are to do, we are to do our best & the Lord covers the gaps. It's such an encouragement to know that whether the responsibility is - parenting, being a wife, being a good employee, being faithful in ministry, whatever - we are not alone in any of it. The Lord is there with us & we can't do a thing without Him. And He is faithful to be our strength, to give wisdom, & to enable us for the task. What a great God!

How did you all spend Mother's Day? Did you enjoy any special treats or have any special thoughts?

Rehearsal Dinner Ideas???

Over the last couple of days a small corner of my mind has been meditating on the Rehearsal Dinner. I know that traditionally the groom's family takes care of this part of the wedding planning, but Mike & I are trying to keep the burden on our parents as light as possible. After all, we are in our 30's, for pity's sake & have been mostly on our own for years. Anyway, I got together a guest list yesterday & I was shocked to discover that there are nearly SIXTY PEOPLE on it! I was not really prepared for that big of a number. However, I do think there is major potential for it to be a fun time ;-)

Here's where I need your help. We were thinking we would just have a huge pizza party at the church. We plan on eating before the rehearsal or we will have families with small children waiting way too late to have their dinner. The kafoffle with having the dinner at the church is that I truly hoped to have the Fellowship Hall Reception Ready that afternoon (or even the day before). My other thoughts were to have the dinner at a city park or even at our house, since lots of folks will probably want to see the house while they are in town for the wedding. Of course that means that the house will have to be in tip-top shape. No more remodeling/moving/organizing/yard sale mess left anywhere. I just got exhausted typing that sentence!

So, your help please. Any inexpensive, creative Rehearsal Dinner ideas that I've overlooked? What did you do for your Rehearsal Dinners? And for those of you whose Rehearsal Dinners I attended, please still respond. 'Cause I don't remember a thing! Don't be offended...

Thanks for your help! And thanks for your comments - I'll admit that I love your feedback!

Still Got It!

This is a leaded glass syringe shield. It's not exactly like the ones we use here at my workplace, but it is similar. Normally I use one of these on a daily basis to draw up doses for our customers. It takes quite a bit of practice (for uncoordinated folks like me, partly b/c they are heavy little boogers) to figure out how to hold the shield with the syringe in it & be able to balance it & pull down on the plunger to draw up the med. We have a small staff here at our location, so I am kind of a Jill-of-all-trades. Last month we had one driver out on medical leave at the same time that another driver was out on a short-term deployment with the National Guard. As a result, I had to be a driver almost every morning. I totally missed my normal duties which includes drawing doses. I kind of like the variety in responsibilities (but not having to go in early!). This week we went back to normal staffing, so come Monday morning I was back in the hood drawing doses. I tend to get a little apprehensive when I start handling the radioactive material again. I just don't want to be careless with it & create a big mess - decontamination is no fun! Anyway, so far, so good - I'm pleased to report I've still got my skills!

Whew!

Yesterday after work I had one of those, WOW! We Got A Lot Done evenings. It was great. I went straight from work to Walgreens, Kroger, & CVS. I didn't have hardly any food in my house (at least nothing fresh) & I wanted to shop the deals. I got all that done, got it all unloaded just as Mike got there. We talked a bit about what we wanted to get done & then we headed to Lowe's. My parents gave us a window air conditioner that they used for just a couple of summers. Then they got central air & they had just stored this window unit in their garage for TEN YEARS. The absolute wonderful thing about it is that it still works well enough to give me goose bumps in like five minutes. What a blessing! Mike got it installed in the bedroom window & we got all the stuff we needed to seal it well at Lowe's. We were also able to get a new ceiling fan for the bedroom (on sale - yay!). After that we headed to Mike's apartment to pack some stuff up & bring it to the house. Our goal is to get him moved out by this weekend. He will then be in limbo (i.e. sleeping on his parent's couch) until the wedding.
After we got back to the house I was able to get three loads of laundry done, make salads for the next couple of days (to take for my lunch at work), water the plants, do a general tidy of the house, get the air conditioner totally secured & sealed (good thing too, 'cause it's raining like crazy here today), pack the boxes we brought home, & then we realized it was 10:30 & Mike hit the road.
I talked to my mom after he left & told her all about what we had accomplished. In the next breath I mentioned several other things we would like to get done (mow the grass, install the ceiling fan, get all the tools put away/organized, line the kitchen drawers, organize a humongous yard sale & so on). I just have to wonder...DOES IT EVER GET BETTER? Will I ALWAYS have a to do list as long as the refrigerator it's posted on? So I asked my Mom.

Her reply - "It will probably ease up after the wedding."

Probably???

Thanks, Momma. At least she doesn't build up any false assurances, amen? Amen!

By the way, in case you were wondering...

The wedding is exactly 66 days away!

The Race Results

I really wanted to wait to post about the race until I could get Mike's camera & download some pics to go along with the full story. So, just to whet your appetite for more details, I will give you just a brief synopsis of my 4th One America 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.

I got off to a great start. The Lord held back the rain, we had cool, sunny temperatures & I made wise choices regarding my clothing options. Aside from not sleeping too well the night before, I was ready to go!

Here are my finishing stats:
Time - 2:20:15
Gun Time - 2:26:12
Pace - 10:43
5 mile - 50:19
10 mile - 1:45:51
Gender Place - 6108 out of 15849
Division Place (females ages 30-34) - 1130 out of 2529
Overall Place - 15683 out of 30147

The average time for all finishers was 2:28:12. Overall, regarding my training difficulties & another difficulty during the race (you'll have to come back for that story!), I was very pleased with my finish time. Here's last year's results for a little comparison:

Finishing Time - 2:15:25
Gun Time - 2:39:29
Pace - 10:21
5 mile - 51:40
10 mile - 1:43:34
Gender Place - 4761 out of 15736
Division Place (female ages 30-34)- 867 out of 2450
Overall Place - 13411 out of 30063

By comparing the gun times you can see that being in a forward corral like G rather than Q or R (whatever it was last year) makes a big difference. It took about 5 minutes for me to get to the start line this year as compared to about 24 minutes last year.

More details & pics are soon to come!

On Your Mark, Get Set, GO!

Rain or shine, ready or not, the Indianapolis Mini Marathon is tomorrow. I can hardly believe that the whole training season is behind me already. I am excited to participate in this super fun race, but I have more than a little anxiety this year about my level of fitness. Training is always a struggle; if it were easy, everybody would be doing it. This year my difficulties were definitely multiplied. Busy-ness, stress, sickness, bad weather, and so on. I've been kind of going back and forth in my own mind about my strategy for tomorrow. Last year I had it all planned out - no pits for water or gatorade until I was at least five miles in (fortunately that allowed me to stay hydrated w/o needing to stop to go to the bathroom), run as long as possible & check pace every mile (I was able to run the whole distance at a 10-minute/mile pace which was actually a bit of a surprise to me), & save enough to sprint to the finish (I miscalculated here - you can see the finish long before you actually get there; I almost died b/c I sprinted WAY too early). Not a sophisticated game plan, but a game plan none the less.

This year I keep waffling. Do I just speed walk it? At a pace of 13:30/mile it would still be a decent finish time. Do I try to run the whole thing & just start walking when I get tired? Or do I plan out a walk one mile/run one mile kind of deal? And what do I wear? The shorts have been decided - they are my favorites & have proven themselves not to ride up or fall down. This is an exceedingly crucial thing to know about your shorts. It's a tragedy to have to continually hold them up or pull them down. Ugh!!! But the matter of shirt is undecided. I have a singlet from my running club (a singlet = a tank top like deal made of super great wicking material). It's a floppy kind of fit which isn't my favorite, but I want to wear it so that I identify with the group. Even though I didn't really make any super great new friends this year, we still have suffered a lot together ;-) So the question is this, will it be cool enough for me to wear a shirt under the singlet? Should it be long sleeved or short sleeved? And do I wear a junky old shirt to ditch at the finish? I know from experience that the 30-45 minutes you wait in your corral at the beginning of the race can be awfully cold, goose-bumpy minutes. And if it rains I will be very, very, very sad. And tempted to wear a trash bag. Not really, but still - who wants to get soggy?

Leave me a comment with your opinion on my strategy for running the race & dressing for the race. Your comments are thoroughly enjoyed!