5QF - 6/29

Here we are folks, it's the end of June! The year is officially half over now. In 1 month, I will officially be 30! And contrary to most people's thoughts, I am actually looking forward to my 30th birthday and hope that it brings lots of great memories!

I didn't weigh in this morning (I wasn't at home), but after last week and this week, I think I am up about 3 pounds. Will try to weigh myself a little later just to check! Started to get back on the right track with my eating this week. Didn't have much time for exercise, but I've been going going going...that will come again in the next week or so.


And now it's time for some 5QF fun! :) Oh and one of the questions is mine, so play along!



- - -

1. What's your favorite childhood snack that you still eat as an adult?

My favorite snack as a kid (and I only remember this because I had this discussion with Katniss the other day) was Fudge Rounds. You know the chocolatey-goodness of a cookie?!? mmmmm...and I actually had one last night because I bought some for the girls because they love them too. haha


2. What food will you not eat the low fat version of?

Usually the low-fat version is not that much healthier for you...but one thing I don't like low-fat is cottage cheese. I think the taste is a little off. Just my opinion. :p


3. What's your favorite way to cool off during the summer?

Pool!! I love to swim! I would swim every day if we had a pool, but darn my luck, we don't! There isn't anything as refreshing as jumping into a nice cool pool at the end of a long hot day as the sun starts to set. #bliss


4. What's your favorite summer read?

I don't think I have a "favorite" summer read. I read all the time. All. The. Time. I'll read anything once. I do say that the perfect type of book to read while you're sitting by the pool or on the beach is a romance book. I tend to read the comedic-romance books like the Southern Sisters series. They fall in love, but of course it's also a mystery (murder is always involved) and they are hysterically funny!


5. What are you doing to stay cool in this awful heat?

Staying indoors. Remember, I said no pool?!? I am an airconditioning-loving-stay-indoors kind of girl. ;)

My Happy List

I've been noticing several of my bloggy friends posting their happy lists on a weekly basis. I've not done this yet, so I thought I would give a general update of my life the past 2 weeks via a list and since I've been so happy, I think it would qualify as a Happy List! haha ;)

1. AxMan - Seriously, things could not be better with him. I see him every single day. The week we spent apart while I was in Punta Cana nearly killed us (not really, but ya know we felt like it did! ha). We stayed in touch via technology thanks to the resort's wifi! I cannot ever remember being this content before. I am happy no matter what we're doing...sleeping, watching a movie, making dinner together, riding in the car to get his daughters, fixing his vehicle, or talking to our parents. I have met quite a few of his relatives (parents, sis, nephews, cousins, grandmas, uncles, aunts, etc). The girls and I treated him to some special surprises for Father's Day. He got a goody bag with his favorite treats (dunkin sticks, chex mix, dried apricots, movie passes) as well as breakfast in bed! We made him homemade waffles...and he LOVED it. :) We have had lots of serious discussions and there isn't much we haven't openly talked about. Love that he is a communicator!! Anyway, things are good. Keeping my fingers crossed that he's around for quite awhile...and funny thing is, he is the same way hoping I'll stay around!

2. Katniss & Lorraine - If you've been following me for any length of time, you know how much I was hoping and praying to find a single man who had no kids...well, sometimes God has different plans for your life! The truth of the matter is that I love kids (it's no secret I want my own one day), but I really didn't think I wanted to deal with another person's drama. It's been surprisingly easy. No, it's not always a walk in the park. His ex is crazy and is a scream-it-out/slam-the-door-in-your-face type and we've been privy to this already (this week actually). The girls; however, are awesome. I adore them to pieces! I enjoy spending time with them and see them quite often. They ask me to spend the night on their nights and I sometimes do...they think it's a big ol' slumber party! They hug me now. They ask to ride with me and do things with me (without their dad). Apparently, they have even told AxMan that they love me. That's pretty awesome because I love them too...all 3 of them!

 The girls doing a face peel & mask the first night in dad's new apartment!

3. Mom - My mom is awesome. If you haven't met her in real life, you're missing out. Just ask Jen or AxMan, she's the "cool mom." No joke! ha She's been great about this important relationship in my life and is so good to AxMan and the girls. Despite having dealt with her own heartbreak in the past (my parents' divorce), she is still the one who is showing me how to be generous and understanding.

4. Weather - I am not normally a fan of the HOT weather. I do enjoy the sunshine, just viewing it from the indoors on these 90-100 degree days! Whew. That is a little too hot for me to be outside. haha

5. Scentsy/Velata - How could I not include the company that just sent me on a FREE All Expenses Paid trip to the Dominican Republic for one week?!? I'm so excited to find out where next year's trip will be and start earning it on August 1st! Not to mention that July's warmer and scent are so awesome. Did my mailing last night with AxMan and the girls (they were super duper help!)...and they love it as much as I do. Plus, everyone at work has been enjoying the new scent today - Lemons & Berries! Yum!

 July warmer - Ohana

6. Toby - My sweet lil pup has been missing me lately...until I get home that is! I feel so guilty not spending time with him, playing, but then when I get home - the little turkey ignores me. haha The one day I was unpacking my trip suitcase and packing for a slumber party night with the girls and my little fur baby was watching my EVERY move. He is pretty darn cute! Rotten, but cute.

And I think that's it for now....haha Life has been crazy busy, but I do love it. I'm happy and healthy. Isn't that what really counts? :) Hope you are holding onto the things that make you happy!!

Punta Cana: Quick Recap

Hello bloggy buddies!

I have been MIA for sooooooo long. And no, I am still not caught up. Not. Even. Close. Life is so chaotic right now. Yowza. I'll get it together eventually! ha (I hope.) In the meantime, while I TRY to catch up on reading all of your blogs from the past 2 weeks, here is a quick picture recap of my recent Punta Cana, Dominican Republic trip....the only things I have to say about it:

- Scentsy is an AMAZING company, they handled every little detail!
- Hard Rock Resort is huge and you definitely needed the trolley to get around after a day/night of drinking!
- The first day the SPF factor was 11, which is extreme. I did not end up getting burnt, but my heat rash is almost gone (throat/chest). It's a reaction that I seem to get whenever I am allergic to a sunscreen. GRRRR
- We sat our butts on the beach or at the pools (there were 14 to choose from) all day.
- One week was just long enough to miss everyone at home, but not long enough to completely rejuvenate myself from all the craziness of late.
- We did a zipline course which consisted of 12 ziplines...AWESOME!!! Loved every darn second and it flew by (even though it took about 2 hours).


And now for your viewing pleasure....

The beach

Our favorite pool - Bongo

View from the balcony of our room

Gorgeous palm trees swaying in the breeze

 

A view down one of the ziplines

Me getting ready to zip!

Sis & I on the beach for our White Night dinner 

Sad to be on the plane headed home :(

Favorite picture of myself from the trip - we dressed up one night for dinner and I even curled my hair! haha

5QF - 6/15

Happy to say that I stayed the same this week! No loss which is sad, but no gain which makes me happy! :p It was a super hectic week and I definitely feel like I pushed my limit on the food consumption and lack of sleep.

1. Would you grow your hair out to donate it?

I would love to, but honestly, my hair gets pretty "stringy" looking the longer it gets. I don't think I'd be able to put up with that for very long even though my hair grows fast.


2. What song makes you think of summer?

There are several songs! Anything by the Beach Boys...iconic songs of my youth. And as silly as it is, Summer Girls by LFO is one of those songs I always crank up when I hear it and sing along. You really don't hear it much anymore!




3. Are you a flip flops or sandals kind of person?

I'm a sandals girl! Don't get me wrong, I have several pairs of flip flops, but I tend to be a klutz in them. They come flying off my feet or I trip. I just feel like I can't walk that fast in them and for someone who is always going 100mph, that doesn't work well! ha


4. Favorite summer treat (i.e. ice cream, snow cones, etc.)?

Hawaiian Shave Ice. Ohhhhh my. Yum! Dangit. Now I want one! haha Strawberry and watermelon is my combo flavor.


5. Do you do something special for the father of your children on Father's Day?

No children...however, my special guy is a dad of two wonderful girls and I am helping them with some surprises for him! :) I mean, how can you not want to help them show him how wonderful he is?!

Katniss helping AxMan put a new alternator in his Explorer

A Busy Life

I know I keep saying it, but honestly I can't seem to stay ahead of the game! The days are flying by are warp speed.

It feels a bit like this...

...but I'm trying to remember this...

My days are spent huddled over my computer at work. As soon as I leave work, there seems to be an endless list of things to do. I've been busy!! I love a busy life, but it's been awhile since I've been THIS busy. ha As I approach my 30's, I'm learning that I cannot go go go like before! I am not getting as much sleep, but I hope to remedy that next week when I am here! My evenings have been spent trying to get ready for the upcoming trip, spending time with AxMan (and his girls when he has them), doing stuff around the house, and helping my Scentsy team. Craziness.

On another note, if you'd like a cute (and fun) read...I grabbed the first one for free on the Amazon Kindle Books Bestsellers list and bought the second one after reading the first.

Saturday & Sunday Recap

Hard to believe that I've had literally no time to sit and type since the weekend! My days keep flying by and I feel no closer to getting things accomplished! Oi.

This will be a shortened recap (since I'm typing this at work...bahaha), but suffice it to say that it was an awesome weekend! I truly had a great time and was sad to see my 3 days of quality time with AxMan come to an end.


Saturday

Saturday morning we both had things to do, so we did our own thing. I exercised and cleaned and did laundry. He mowed some yards that he does on a weekly basis and had lunch with his grandma. After he was back to where he's staying, I drove up and picked him up. We went grocery shopping together (had to get my weekly supplies). After that, we dropped the groceries off at my house and then went to his sister's house to do his laundry. She has a high efficiency washer and it seriously held all 2 weeks of his and the girls' clothes in 1 load. Crazy. We still have the "old school" style washer and dryer. haha I got to meet his sister's boyfriend (he calls him his brother-in-law) and 3 of the kids. His sister has 2 boys, who I adore! haha They are farm boys through and through. Had me cracking up almost the whole time we were there...and then asked why I laugh and smile so much!? :p I also met her boyfriend's son (he also has 2 girls). The boys were wound for sound that afternoon...so while the laundry was doing it's thing, we made a great escape! ha I drove him around and showed him some of the places I had lived growing up and where my closest family members live. He had previously done this with me (sorry for not blogging about it. ha) We returned to town and waited on his laundry and finally got to visit with his sis (she works weekends) when she got home. Although they invited us to dinner, we couldn't take the noise and chaos anymore, so we had dinner at a local restaurant. Yum! We spent the rest of the evening hanging out at my house. We walked out to the pond (he wants to catch frogs sometime soon) and watched tv and talked. It was a really nice evening just relaxing.


Sunday

Sunday morning we were both feeling pretty lazy. We had breakfast together...coffee and chocolate chip muffins. mmmmm...good! We procrastinated a bit and finished getting ready for the day before heading to a small town about 40 minutes away to see one of his co-workers, Hillbilly. I'll call his friend/co-worker, Hillbilly, because...he is one! haha He knows it, we all know it. Hillbilly is a good guy though and I'm glad AxMan has someone on the job that he can commiserate with (their job sucks - actually it's the company/mgmt). Anyway, Hillbilly invited us out to his camping spot for dinner. I was told over and over how awesome this meal would be because Hillbilly can really grill....and boy, was AxMan right! We had ribeye steaks, potato wedges, and salad. It was all delicious. The steak was so juicy and the marinade (his secret recipe) was off the charts amazing! The potato wedges were delicious...and yes, we may have all been dipping them in ranch dressing as well. haha ;) It was luckily not too hot out in the woods where we were. We made the trip back to AxMan's place and he decided he was hungry again. I kid you not, the man has a hollow leg. I'm sure of it. Of course, he burns some serious calories at work, so I can imagine you would need to keep your energy up! Since he was hungry and we'd really only had a muffin and the steak all day long...we decided to go grab a pizza at Little C's. We brought it back and watched The Princess Bride while we ate. Funny enough, this was his movie choice. I had never seen it before and since one of his life missions is to expand my movie list, we watched it. I can't believe how ridiculous, but cute, the movie was. Definitely a Robin Hood in Tights kind of movie. I made it home before it got too late and sadly...realized my weekend was over.


Hope all of you had wonderful weekends as well! This time next week...I'll be on the beach in Punta Cana! WOOHOO!!! :)

**Missy - sorry no picture. I'm at work and don't have access! ha

A Rather Perfect Friday

Friday was a pretty great day. Really can't complain about a single second! :)

My day started out at 4:45 am (okay, so maybe that part wasn't so great..ha..but I am used to it) with an early morning workout. I then got myself ready for work and enjoyed a short work day from 7-9am. After work, I had a few errands to run in town. Had to cash my one paycheck & drop off a graduation gift to my cousin since we aren't attending her grad party Sunday. I then made my way to Greensburg to pick up AxMan so he could accompany me on my day in Indy!

We got to Indy and I went to my doc's office for a blood draw. Don't fret - just potassium testing for the testosterone blocker I take. Then I proceeded to drag him from store to store...haha...and I must say he handled it like a champ! I have NEVER taken a guy along on an errand day. I didn't want to bore him, but at the same time, I just feel so comfortable with him that I really didn't care - I just wanted to spend time with him doing my mundane routine. Bought my first pair of Sperry's at DSW, bought a new silver hard-side piece of luggage (that I've been wanting forever!) on The Container Store's travel sale, and made my customary stop at Ulta to stock up on things I'll be out of before too long. We also made a stop at a Sprint store so he could pay his cell phone bill.

By then, it was time for my third and final Lasik check-up. I cannot believe it's been 3 months already! They tested my eyes and then the regular doctor on staff took a look. She had a student/intern doc there as well, so when she was done checking my eyes, she told the intern to look at my eyes because I was an example of a perfect healer! :) Woohoo! That's awesome news! My eyes still tested at 20/20. Amazing since I was legally blind before that! My left eye is still weaker than my right but she said it's still very slight. So now, I just have to do yearly routine eye exams with my normal doctor. I'm loving it!

After the eye appointment, I had to introduce AxMan to 2 of my favorite Indy eateries. ;) And....it was love at first bite! He said he had a "tongue-gasm." hahahahaha We had lunch at Scotty's Brewhouse and then grabbed dessert at BRICS. Yes, he loves the blackberry ice cream as much as I do! He's a keeper!


Since we still had time, he asked if I'd like to meet his mom and dad. *melted* His girls were there for a few hours while their mom ran errands and he said we could surprise them. I let him drive my car back from Indy (a - the girls pointed out he was seen driving a car with Purdue plates! and b - he's only the 3rd person to ever drive my car) since he knew where we were going and I obviously didn't. We got to his parent's home and the girls ran out to see us. I adore them to pieces! We then made our way in the house and spent about 30-45 minutes with his mom and dad. They were really sweet and the conversation was very easy and relaxed. We left so they could eat dinner (and before his ex picked up the girls) and drove a few blocks away so I could meet his grandma. She is such a sweet lady! She reminds me a lot of how my maternal grandma was when she was living. haha...she even knew what shellac was and commented on my nails! ;) We spent about 20 minutes sitting out on the deck at her house just chatting. Both mom and grandma hugged me...he said that was a VERY good sign and that he could tell they liked me. I hope so! I liked them!

We made our way back to the place he's staying (he got word yesterday that he got the apartment he was wanting in Osgood) and chatted with the Greer's for awhile. They are like his second family because it's his best friend's family (they've been best friends since they were 8 - so almost 30 years!). We had every intention of watching a movie, but both of us fell asleep. Whoops! haha I guess we were both tired. :p I made it home pretty late, but it was so worth it. It was a perfect day. I don't know how many times he thanked me for asking him to spend the day with me, but it was pretty cute that he enjoyed it as much as I did!

5QF - 6/8

Friday again...where oh where has the time gone? If you've been reading my blog, you know that last weekend was quite busy and amazingly good! This week I have spent every evening except for last night with AxMan. Quality time is so important to me...and we've been fortunate to have lots of it this week. We've settled in on the couch, watched tv, talked about anything and everything, had dinner together, and just enjoyed our time together. We have plans to spend pretty much the entire weekend together and both of us are pretty darn excited about that! ha I'm sure I'll have some updates after the weekend. :)

I'm excited to say that I've lost another 1.2 pounds! Loving this healthy lifestyle. So excited to continue shedding the pounds. I was looking through some old pictures with AxMan this week and he was amazed at how much I've lost. He's lost quite a bit over the past 5 months as well. He doesn't have to workout though, he burns a ton of calories on the job everyday! ha

Last week I was too busy to play along with 5QF even though one of the questions was mine! Bummer. :( This week, one of the questions is again mine...hope you'll link up!




- - -

1. Did you do anything special for your kids on the last day of school? Or did your parents do anything special for you?

No kids and don't remember my parents/grandparents doing anything special for us as kids. I think we did the typical "last day of xx grade" pictures. haha We were always too excited about summer to be concerned with anything extra just because of school ending.


2. What's your favorite summer tradition with your kids?

Again, no kids of mine...however, this summer I can see myself making a tradition of park days with AxMan and his girls. I have also done special "dates" with my cousin, Ethan, to play golf and eat ice cream. We always have fun together. This summer I plan to make some baseball games to see my good friend O's kiddos play! Love them to pieces and it will be fun to spend time with them.


3. What was your favorite thing to do during the summer as a kid?

This is so silly, but there were 2 things that I always really enjoyed as a kid. The first was the week spent at the county fair each summer (usually the week of my birthday). We were super 4-H'ers and took tons of projects and my parents were very involved as leaders. I still make it to the fair several nights! The other thing that I remember the most about summers was swimming. Swimming at my grandma's house...she had the most awesome in-ground pool that was also like a greenhouse/atrium glass enclosed. Swimming at our friend DeeDee's house (still do that! ha). And of course, hanging the swings really high on the swingset and jumping into the kiddie pool we set up at my other grandparent's house. Yep, we surely were the kids who gave their parents and grandparents heart attacks on a daily basis! ;)


4. How old were you when you married? Were you a Bridezilla?

Not married, but guessing if it ever happens...I'll be in my 30's as I'm about to hit that milestone next month! ha I would love to say I wouldn't be a bridezilla, but anyone who REALLY knows me and my obsessive need to plan events would tend to believe that I will most likely be a crazy bride. I must say though that as I get older, I'm more determined to have a smaller wedding somewhere (like a beach) and then have a big reception upon our return. I think that would be less stressful! ha (And yes Jen, I'll probably still be a bridezilla. So sue me! ha)


5. What is your favorite girl name?

I normally wouldn't share this, but seeing as how I have a previous friend who "stole" this name (I've loved this name since junior high), I wouldn't ever use it for my own child. Kylee. I knew a girl growing up that spelled her name - Kylie. And I pretty much idolized her and thought she was THE coolest. haha Why the double E? Well, I knew a girl - Ashlee - and I always liked the unique spelling that wasn't too crazy, but just different enough. Ya know?!? Oh well. ha

A Day at the Park

So where do I begin with yesterday's festivities? hmmmm...I have a lot to tell! (And if you didn't read the blog over the weekend, you need to scroll down and read your way back up because I posted on Saturday AND Sunday.)

Sunday morning after AxMan woke up, I asked him if they would like to do something together for the day. So we decided on an afternoon at the park (at this point it was 10:30am and the girls were still asleep). I set about getting myself ready after exercising, had a quick bite to eat, and gathered some park supplies. Quilts to lay out in the grass, scratch sets (you know the velcro catch game), a frisbee, my old cheerleading pom-poms (cause the girls asked to see them the night before but I had to dig them out of a box), and a cooler with our favorite drinks. I met them at the park around 1:30pm and the fun began!

The girls played...and played...and played some more. We really had a great time! I also had packed my iPod and speakers, so we listened to music while laying on the quilts. AxMan ran to grab a pizza since him and the girls hadn't eaten. The girls and I talked about all sorts of things...I just let them lead the conversation. I'm glad they feel comfortable enough with me to confide in me. (It surprised their daddy later when I told him too.) The girls made themselves dizzy on the merry-go-round, climbed on the geo-dome, went down the slides, and I joined them on the swings. Lorraine even found time to bury herself in the sandbox. Oi. The girl had sand EVERYWHERE. haha It was really the perfect day weather-wise! I would plan a day like that again in a heartbeat!

DORK! He didn't think I snapped this fast enough...bahaha

Around and around they go!

Sand, anyone?

Kiddie swing

After about 2.5 hours the girls were starting to get restless. You know how it is...sooooo BORING. hahaha We packed everything back in my car and then went over to the place AxMan is staying right now because I hadn't been there and the girls wanted me to see it. We all piled onto the bed and watched a movie...but mostly chatted. All too soon it seemed like our day was coming to a close. At 7pm, I rode along for the "drop off" of the kiddos to their mom. I did see her, but we did not meet. Can anyone say awkward?!?

After dropping the girls off, we went back to the park and sat on the big bench swing under a shade tree. It was nice just being able to sit there and enjoy some quiet time with AxMan. After some talking there, we went back to where he's staying. He really wanted to watch the movie (cause it was already a day late), but of course, we missed most of it again due to a conversation that got started between us. He is VERY adamant about open communication...and I love that, but at the same time, it's almost to the point it makes me uncomfortable. Why? Well....he's been there done that and I haven't. It's really as simple as that. I would be lying if I didn't say the situation can intimidate me at times, but I'm working really hard not to let it. Sometimes that feeling comes across as me rejecting him. I hate that he feels that way, but it's because of his history. We were kind of giving each other some thinking space when my dear, sweet, wonderful friend O texted. The girl has some crazy connection to me! She always seems to hit the right day and the right moment when I need a true friend's advice. She was texting about reading my latest blog post....and of course she has lots of backstory via text because she's a) local and b) one of my best friends since HS. It was the reminder I needed to put myself out there...so I asked him to read the text. That was all it took to open the lines of communication. There was some pretty serious conversation...and at times I felt like he could reach out and crush my heart at any moment...but in the end, we're okay. We both have lots of baggage/fears we bring into the relationship, but we both want to make it work. He really pushes me to lay those fears to rest. I know I'm pushing him as well. It will no doubt continue to be a struggle. I just know I'm willing to keep "laying it on the line" as long as he does.

Yesterday I had planned to ask him how he felt about us being "Facebook official." hahaha Stupid, I know. Forgive me. On the way home, I texted him to ask. He was all for it. So when I got home and got some stuff done, I finally had a moment to sit down and change my status on FB. His computer screen is shattered and good ol' FB won't let the world change their relationship on the mobile app (I mean...really? How dumb is that logic??), so he is hoping to get to a computer tonight or tomorrow to "approve" our pending relationship. He does however still get all the notifications from every time someone has liked my changed status. hahaha ;) I really never knew so many cared about my status until last night when 14 people Liked my relationship status change within 10 minutes of posting it...at midnight!! Good grief. It does make me laugh though. And I do like being his. And him being mine. :)

OH...he also now knows about the blog, but hasn't seen it. I told him about his moniker and let's just say...I think he would've done the "me Tarzan" beating on his chest thing had I been standing with him when we talked about it later on the phone (after I got home). His biggest question was why I felt the need to hide his name and call him something else. I explained to him that the moniker started before we'd started officially dating and it was to protect his privacy. So...AxMan is actually a wonderful man named Eric. If you're FB friends with me...you probably figured that out by his comment on my status change and the fact that he also Liked it. hahaha Eventually it'll say that he's the one I'm in a relationship with, but ya know that whole approval thing via an actual computer! :p I will most likely continue to call him AxMan, but don't be surprised if I slip up from time to time and you see Eric. I almost typed it earlier in a paragraph and went back to change it!

My Heart is Happy

So, as you all know from reading my gibberish everyday...there's a wonderful guy in my life (aka AxMan). Yesterday I met his daughters (aka Katniss & Lorraine - more on these monikers in the following paragraphs!). If you read yesterday morning's post, you'll know I woke up feeling like everything was right in my world. Such a good feeling! :) That feeling only intensified throughout the day. Last night, AxMan and I were texting after he went home...and I told him that for the first time, I felt complete. He replied that he did as well...and that his girls were the happiest he'd seen them in a long time. *melt my heart* I had a lot of those heart melting moments yesterday...I've always known in my heart (since I was very young), that I was born to be a mother and a wife. Crazy? Maybe. Yesterday just cemented that for me. No matter what form it comes as in the future.


I had plans to meet AxMan and his daughters in Greensburg for lunch when mom and I were up there getting groceries for the week. I got a text while I was getting ready asking if he could just stop by and say hi real quick and pick up the mini fridge. (He's borrowing our mini fridge.) I was sort of confused because I thought he was panicking and pulling a stunt like I dealt with before (with Electrician). I told him I wasn't quite ready yet (I was dressed, but no makeup and wet hair up in a towel...yowza), but he said I'd like beautiful no matter what and the girls wanted to meet me. I combed my hair and put on a smile...and they were here! I took Toby outside with me to meet the girls and he soaked up all their attention. What a ham! We stood there talking and carrying on for about 30 minutes. When the girls were off playing with Toby and petting our other dogs, he told me he hadn't really had the money for lunch (it's been tough for him lately), to which I replied that I had planned to treat them all to lunch anyway. I hadn't told him because he's a man and very prideful. ha He had a hard time accepting it, but eventually said if the offer still stood, the girls would love to spend more time with me (as would he) and they'd still join us. So, after he ran to his sister's to pick up some of his yard equipment (he does landscaping on the side), they met mom and I at Storie's for a delicious...and quite funny lunch. I don't think we lacked for conversation at all. The girls are bright, funny, and sweet. They seemed comfortable with me and mom. I even sat by the girls and AxMan sat on the other side of me. The younger one was having trouble cutting up her chicken strips (kids are so funny with their habits, but then so are adults!), so I asked if she wanted help and she handed me her plate so I could do it. He looked kinda funny at me and asked if it was okay, that he could do it. I told him it was fine, I wouldn't have offered if I didn't wanna do it. ha Men! :p Sometimes they just don't get we show our affection in a million different ways. Lunch lasted about 1.5 hours! Craziness. It flew by and I'm so glad I got that time with them.

Mom and I went on our merry way to get groceries and AxMan took the girls to his mom's while he mowed a few yards nearby there. I was standing in line to pay (you know good ol' Wal-Mart can only have 3 lines open when there are a BILLION people trying to check out...grrrr) when I got tackled! hahaha There was Katniss & Lorraine! And here came their daddy...smiling and laughing. He needed a few things and didn't think they would see me, but the girls were apparently on the lookout for me. ;) So I got to talk to them a few more minutes while we waited in line.

That evening he picked up a pizza and brought the girls over to watch a movie. On the way over...our text convo looked a bit like this:

AxMan: I plan on some hugs and kisses tonight. Just so you know.
Me: Are we allowed to cuddle during the movie?
AxMan: I just asked the girls and they said yes to cuddling. ha
Me: How about those kisses? ;)
AxMan: I asked. I got eye rolling and smiles. Yes, we've got the green light. ;)
Me: Glad to know we have approval! haha


I have never had to get permission to hug or kiss a boyfriend before...but I'm glad the girls approve. The pizza & movie were actually their idea. They wanted to see me again! AWWWWWWWWW How cute is that?? If you can't tell, I'm just as smitten with them as with their dad. The girls quickly ended up being bored with the movie and they wanted to talk. So they sat on the floor amidst the pile of pillows and blankets I had out for them, playing with Toby and asking me questions while I was curled up on the couch in AxMan's arms (per usual). At about 10:30, the girls said they were tired, but they didn't wanna leave me. So AxMan told them to lay down and when they were ready to go home, he'd get them up. ha They enthusiastically covered up with my Purdue blanket (did I mention his major flaw is that he's an IU fan? hahaha). He jokingly told them they were grounded. haha The girls then asked me to take a picture and post in on Facebook. I didn't post it on FB cause I didn't know if he was ready for that, but I am gonna post it here and I did text him the pic! Katniss ended up falling asleep on my bed, but Lorraine was wound for sound the entire night! They ended up waking Katniss and going home around midnight. Not an exciting night by any means, but a perfect one in my book. :)

Okay...so the reasons for the girls names. The oldest girl is 12 and is completely obsessed with Hunger Games. She has dark hair, is learning to shoot a bow, and has boots like Katniss wore in the movie. AxMan has a picture of her on his phone with her hair pulled back, shooting the bow, with her boots on...she looks very much like a young Katniss! The youngest girl is 9 and quirky sweet. ha She is blonde and precocious, much like the character Lorraine (that Dakota Fanning plays) in Uptown Girls. And there you have it...Katniss & Lorraine. He told me throughout the day that the girls NEVER stopped talking about me. Before they left last night, they even hugged me!! Seriously, how can you not get attached when it's like that? And yes, I know I could be setting myself up for huge disappointment, but for once, I'm not going to let any doubts or fear of getting hurt stop me from giving all of myself. They were already asking AxMan when they would get to see me again. The girls were trying to wrangle an invite for today...and of course, that would be fine with me. He admonished them for inviting themselves over, but of course, I know he loves it just as much as they do, so it wasn't too firm on that. ;)

And now for some pictures. Sorry, AxMan and I have not yet taken a picture together because I usually have no makeup on when he comes over to hang out. Honestly, I'm lazy after a day at work, exercising and showering...so I don't bother putting makeup on for the second time in the day...and he prefers me without it. I plan to remedy that this week/upcoming weekend. So, for now you have to settle for a picture from Easter that his cousin took of him watching the kids play in the yard at their family get-together. He looks much younger in person when he's smiling and joking around. But for the most part, this is him. And then the rest of the pics are of the girls from last night.

A Quiet Morning

I know most people are not morning people...that is not me. I LOVE mornings. L-O-V-E. Sitting alone on a quiet morning does something to restore my soul. Weird? Maybe.

This morning I woke up a half hour before my alarm was set to go off...heck, it still hasn't gone off! ha I let Toby in my room and he's currently snuggled beside me on the couch, but he's a pretty quiet partner when he's sleepy. ;) As I sit here listening to a few birds' chirps cutting through the peacefulness, watching the sun filter through my curtains...I'm struck by how "right" things feel at this moment in time.

I don't even think I can begin to explain why or how things feel right. Yesterday a former co-worker called in to talk to the boss man, but he was out, so he ended up talking to me....he laughed because he said he was surprised I still worked there. It's kind of sad that so many people feel like my job is beneath me. No, I don't even come close to using my arsenal of skills and I do enjoy being challenged on the job, but I also enjoy surprising people with my abilities from time to time. I've never shunned work. I grew up having to work and work HARD. Sure, I complain about my job, but it's not because I don't feel it's worthy work, it's because I disagree with how the corporate office thinks they should manage things. The thing is...at this job, I'm probably about the happiest I've ever been. I am finally to a pay level where I make as much as I did at my former fave job (working for the federal gov't), but the people definitely make it a good one. Plus, if you haven't noticed...I'm a homebody. I prefer to be close to my family and friends. Sure, I still miss city living and the conveniences, but in the end - I'm just a small town girl who loves her fresh country air, the wide open spaces, and the slower pace of life.

I need my daily exercise to energize myself (although it's a pretty great bonus to be consistently losing weight - I've now officially lost over 60 pounds!). I live for weekend trips to Indy to see Jenna (& Noelle) or to Lexington to see Zach. I love that my uncle, aunt, and cousins include mom and I on their endless ranger riding trips over the backroads of the area. I enjoy being able to work towards paying off my debt. I get so excited that everyone around here knows I sell Scentsy and comes to me for last minute gifts or to re-stock their supply...and I truly get a thrill from watching my team members achieve big things!

And on top of all those things....right now, I enjoy spending time with AxMan and being part of each other's lives. Later today I hope to have something new (and good) to tell you about this as well (and yes, Missy, pictures). As I was typing this post, I realized how appropriate "his song" to me is for my life in general at this moment in time. Definitely going to try hard to be HERE in everything I do. To appreciate everything that's gotten me to this point in life, good and bad.



Thank you God for an amazing day to be cognizant for all that I have and do! Enjoy your weekend, friends! :)