Senior Prom down, High School Graduation to go

Saturday my cousin went to his senior prom.  He looked so handsome. hehe His date was a cutie too.  Above picture is obviously me (not his date). hehe You can visit my Flickr to view more photos.  Anyways in just three weeks he will be a high school graduate.  I'm so proud of him.  He also FINALLY made a decision on which college he wanted to go to in the fall.  After being accepted into Indiana University, Indiana State University, Purdue University, Depauw University, & University of Southern Indiana... he finally decided on Indiana University.  Go Hoosiers!!

I don't really have much to update on.  I've been extremely busy with going to baseball games, working on the plans for Der's Graduation Party, and making custom decals every few days.  JC and I have also been working in the yard almost every day... it's soposed to rain a few days this week so i'm hoping I'll get around to crafting and getting some new things added to the shop.

I really want one of these shirts.  I think it would be awesome to have my twitter name on a shirt... :o) maybe i'm retarted...but i think EVERYONE should have a twitter.  And if we all had shirts like this we'd all know how to "follow" eachother. :o)  I think I want a black shirt, with a green @, and adiqshun in white.  I need to find somewhere where i can buy heat transfer vinyl and I think i'll make myself one. 

Also, if any of you were following my "Weight Loss Diary" you obviously have noticed I haven't updated for about a week.  With everything going on it's hard to keep this blog updated let alone that blog and everyday.  I may still continue to update it every so often but most likely I'll just post it on here.  I'm still watching what I eat and trying to exercise a few times a week.  I started the diet on April 1 so it's been over a month that i've been doing it.  I haven't weighed myself yet so I have no idea if I've lost any weight.  I have noticed my pants not feeling as tight though. haha So maybe it's working....

8 great years, looking forward to many more.

I've heard people say that after you get married you really can't count your "dating" anniversaries anymore.  Well, I think even though were getting ready to have our 1 year wedding anniversary in July, I still think we should celebrate our "dating" anniversary.  If it wasn't for these past 8 years then we wouldn't be here getting ready to celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary.  The last 8 years have been the best years of my life.  I've had the chance to grow up with my best friend.  I am definately looking forward to our 1 year wedding anniversary but I didn't want to forget this day too.  April 29, 2001 will always be the day that changed my life for the better.

Justin - I know sometimes you randomly come across this blog and most likely with your busy work schedule you won't for a while but I want you to know your the most amazing person (other than myself of course) that i've ever known.  You've been there for me thru everything and I can not imagine life without you.  I look forward to many more years together...I love you my little goat. ;o)

Baseball season has arrived, maybe for the last time.

I've been spending my days watching my cousin play his last year of baseball in High School.  I hope that maybe he'll continue into college but just incase he doesn't I cherish every moment. 

Blog posts will probably be slim from now until June.  I've got atleast 2-3 baseball games each week, plus prom is coming up, and then graduation.  I'll try and update atleast once a week to keep you guys updated on life.  Continue to check my shop because it will still be updated....

and god said "let there be stress."

So, in two weeks I'll be completely out of unemployment.  I will have ZERO income.  I was hoping by now JC would be working at the mine so we really weren't worried.  He had his interview I think late February or early March, I really can't remember.  Anyways they told him he was first on the list to be hired and that they would be hiring him the first of April.  Well it's April 8 and he still hasn't heard anything from them.  He calls them about every week and they keep saying "your first on the list..." but then he never hears back from them.  If he doesn't get that job then I don't get to go to school.  If he doesn't get that job then I have to get a full time job to be able to afford my bills.  This weekend I'm going to sit down and add up all our bills combined...then add up his income from his unemployment and figure out what we'll need to get by.  I'm pretty much at the point to where I'm gonna have to take anything...no matter what the income is.  I keep telling JC how worried I am and he just says  "don't worry, it will work out, it always does."  But this time it just don't seem like it will...

So my plan for today is I've got two orders to do and get sent out.  So i'm going to do that as soon as I finish this post.  Then I'm going to search online to see if I can find any jobs that I can apply for online.  Blah. . .

Were back from our trip to Kentucky

Friday around 2pm we left for Evansville, Indiana.  Above, Bella was giving me the "i love you so much momma, please don't leave me" look. hehe

We stayed at the Casino Aztar Hotel.  I went and tried to get lucky off $50, lost it fast and went back to the room.   I searched the little "hotel directory" until I found they had a fitness room on the third floor.  So since I was on my diet I decided it was probably a good idea for me to take advantage of the fitness room while I could...plus I knew i'd be eating unhealthy all weekend.  So while everyone else was down in the casino I worked out in the fitness room.  I was only in there for about 45 minutes or so but I really enjoyed every minute of it.  It reminded me of how much I love doing that kind of stuff...it also reminded me of how much I was out of shape.  I really can't afford to a gym membership and I definately can't afford buying any gym equipment...but I'm definately looking forward to purchasing some ZUMBA dvd's on ebay so that I can get back in the work-out groove.

Anyways, 5:30 am on Saturday the alarms were going off and we were up and at it.  We ate breakfast at the Temptations Buffet on the 2nd floor of the hotel.  They have amazing food.  Then we were on the road headed to Owensboro, Kentucky.  The above photo is a photo taken with my iPhone of the bridge with the sun coming up crossing the Ohio River.  I thought the it looked pretty in the sunlight.  So 30 minutes later we arrive at Owensboro for JC and his ball team to play softball.  The first game they played REALLY well... but ended up losing by 3.  The second game they didn't do so great.  They ended up losing and by 1:30 we were back on the road heading home.  It was still a fun weekend but I wish the team would have did better.. I was glad to be coming home considering I knew my Bella was at home waiting on me.

We got home around 5pm where after lots of hugs and kisses from Bella, me and her laid of the couch cuddling and taking a little nap while JC cooked some chili.  I woke up just long enough to eat some chili and watch a little of the Michigan State game and I fell back asleep.  We woke up this morning around 10:30 and unpacked and got some laundry going...hopefully we got our sleep caught back up from the trip.  Tomorrow I have a phone interview at noon that last 90 minutes, so after that I'm hoping to get some more things added to the shop.  I'm also hoping that I receive my headband that Katie Jo made me...  Below is a picture of Bella and JC sleeping in bed this morning...she was so happy to have us back home.

I see the big picture...why don't others?

Don't you just love polaroids?? I do and always have.  I actually like any sort of vintage photography.. I think i'm going to start a scrapbook and use nothing but polaroid pictures in it....  Yesterday I spent my precious time designing and creating and crafting.  I've got alot of stuff I need to add to the shop but it's really a pain dragging my light box out for only like 5 things.  So I've decided to keep on creating and when I've got atleast 10 new things then I'll drag it out and start snapping pictures.  That part of the "selling products" is so time consuming.  Get out the light box, set everything up...take mulitple pictures in all different angles, edit pictures and lighting..etc. Then resize and upload....blah blah blah.. It's very time consuming but I guess well worth it.  Anyways...so I plan on working on more projects tomorrow and hopefully get the shop full of new stuff. 

This week I've also got to go to the health department and get a TB test and a Tetanus shot for school.  The whole having to go back two days later is such a pain in the ass.  So I think I'm gonna go Friday then that way I don't have to go back until Monday...hopefully that will work out well. 

I'm really looking forward to Friday.  John Cena's new movie, 12 Rounds, comes out and I'm super excited.  JC and I were gonna go but he's got tickets to the Sweet 16 NCAA games, so it looks like I'll be going Saturday night instead....unless I can talk one of my friends in going with me.

So I can't remember if I've mentioned that JC had a interview at a local mine or not..but he did and it went really well.  They told him he's first on the list to be hired and should be hearing from them basically anytime.  They said they're just waiting for the "ink to dry" on a contract. The thing is...I'm super excited about it because A. he'd make REALLY good money and I wouldn't have to get a full time job. B. Since I wouldn't have to work full time I can go back to school C. we'd never have to worry about money again.   but at the same time...I'm really not excited about the fact that he's putting his dream of being a police officer on hold because he knows we need this money.  Also our plans of moving away (hopefully Texas) will also be put on hold.  He says if he gets this job he plans to be there for 20 years!! Oh my gosh, I can't live in this county for 20 more years!!!!  I'm so different than the people here.  I see the big picture...they don't.  It's sorta hard to explain but if you've ever lived in a small town/community or grew up in one then you know what I mean.  The people here all they are concerned about is small town stuff... crops, roads, gossip, babies, church... etc.

They don't see (or they don't want to see) whats going on in other places than here.  They don't realize the effect they are having on the environment and they don't realize that there are millions of babies and kids out there needing a home...  They are just all so consumed in their little life that they don't understand their "little life" is just that LITTLE... I hate listening to people complain and bitch about stuff.. If your not happy with your life than do something about it.  Duh!  I mean seriously...there are worse things going on.... maybe like WAR... hello??  Now your "little dramafied life" doesn't sound so bad..right?

I don't know...I am just so different and view things so differently than people around here.  Even my family and friends...they just don't get it.  .....I'm not sure if "dramafied" is a word...but it is now! haha

back to work for one week

So I feel like i'm sorta behind on posting.  This week has been kinda hectic.  Tuesday night my cousin Derrik had his basketball sectionals.  Unfortunately, we lost.  It was a really good game and they had an excellent season, I just wish they could have won sectionals again.  They won sectionals last year...and this year is his senior year...so it's his last time playing basketball.  I'm still very proud of him.  He did really good this season.  This just means that baseball season is around the corner.  Which is very exciting.

I also had my first custom vinyl order.  I am a member of a Kurt Halsey Fan Page on livejournal and I saw a post from a girl wanting to know if anyone did vinyl.  I sent her a message and she is actually from indianapolis (which is just 2 hours away) and needs some vinyl window art for a local band.  So I'm waiting for my white vinyl to come in (i only had black and brown) and as soon as it comes in which hopefully is tomorrow or monday at the latest I'll get her decals made.  I'm hoping that in the future if the band plays gigs and wants to sell some of the car window decals maybe they'll order them from me.  I still haven't added any vinyl to my shop.  I was going to add it in the shop on March 1 but that's the day I took my cousin's senior pictures and then the last few days I've been busy doing things.  Then today I worked at my old work (the one that I got laid off from).  Someone is taking a week off so they asked me to come work for a week to fill in.  I really didn't want to do it but I figured it wouldn't kill me to work 1 week...plus I'll make more than my unemployment and that will push my unemployment back one week....  So today I worked there..it was boring and went by REALLY slow..but it was okay.  It's just weird being back there.  It's been 8 months and alot has changed.  Nothing has changed there.  The place is the same and the people are the same..but I'm different.  I just see things differently and really don't care to be there.  I don't know...I've just changed the way I feel about things in the past 8 months I guess.  Like I sorta reevaluated the way I think, feel, and act about things.   I know whats important to me and the kind of people I want to surround myself with.  And that place just isn't where I want to be and those people are just not the people I want to be around. BUT...it's only for one week..so i'm sure I can handle it for one week.  It's basically free money..the worst part about the job is having to wake up at 7 am...other than that the job is cake. :o)



**picture above is Dylan and Derrik with their bobble heads I made with my cricut.**

Hey daddy, your baby girl is gonna make something of herself

So...lets do a recap...Since December 1st, I've went to 5 interviews. 3 out of 5 were extremely terrible pay. 3 out of those 3 had no insurance options. 2 out of the 3 were pretty long drives. 1 out of the 3 was a short drive but the worst pay ever.
On to the good ones, 2 out of the 5 were awesome pay. 1 out of the 2 had insurance. the 1 out of the 2 that didn't have insurance was AMAZING pay. I actually got offered that job and then the next day they called and took back the job offer due to the economy. The 1 out of 2 job that did have insurance was a little bit of a drive but had great hours, great pay, and also had commission. I was told he'd be calling me for a second interview after the first of the year and never heard from him again. He didn't even return my emails.

So...the last 2 1/2 months have been a bit of a roller coaster in the job/career area, to say the least. I have contemplated for a long time about going back to school. I'm a very smart person (sometimes you can't tell, but I am) and I know that I have no limitations. The sky's the limit. I've always known that I'm the type of person that, no matter what it is, I can do it. I just have to be shown. I seriously have no doubt in my mind that if I wanted to be an astronaut, I could. But see here's my biggest problem. I'm lazy. I don't want to go to school and sit in class all day and "learn." I'd rather be put out in the job and taught there and start making money right away.. I don't like having to do all that learning and crap first. Yes, I called school and learning crap because...well it is.

See, I'm a very confident (cocky) person. I don't like to be bossed around, I don't like to be told what to do. I like to do my own thing. I've always wanted to own my own business. I love working, don't get me wrong, I'm not lazy when it comes to working. It's just all the stuff that you must do before that.

Like for the interviews for instance. I am actually much smarter and more qualified than the people that are interviewing me. I can't stand sitting in a room, going thru the whole interview process with someone and just talking. I think an interview should be hands on. You say you can do this job...show me. I get so frustrated going to interview after interview and getting offered crap jobs. Bad pay or bad hours...whatever.

So I've decided to do something about it. I hate school and the whole system with a passion but I realize that I can not do what I love without it... So as much as I hate the fact that I'm about to say this... I am going back to school. It's going to be a long and hard 4 years ahead of me but I am ready. By 2013, (wow...that sounds forever) I will be a college graduate....and finally.. I can do something that I love and get paid for it accordingly. :o)

So, today I filled out my FAFSA. They go off last years income which sucks because last year JC was employed and so was I for half the year. So I'm not sure how much, if any, I will get on it. But if all else fails I'll just have to take out student loans and pay them back later. I mean it won't be like I'm the only person that has ever done that. Hopefully JC gets a good full-time job between now and the fall so that this will all be able to happen. I'm still going to have to get a job but I'm hoping I can just do something part time and maybe even get a job at the university.

I am so beyond excited...and if you know me...school and excitement have never been in the same sentence together...EVER!! haha I don't think I'm actually excited about the school part, its about the part where in 4 years I'll be something. If only I would have done this years ago... I'm finally gonna make something of myself, my daddy is gonna be so proud!!

I got a job and then they took it away

Well...I have so much to blog about....well back in this post I talked about how I wanted an iphone.  After searching online I found out that switching to AT&T from Verizon the actual "switch" was going to alot of money because of two phone bills, activation fees, and paying $75 to get out of our Verizon contract... but the actual monthly bill was going to be about the same maybe even less depending on what texting package we got.  So last week when I got a really good phone call, I decided instead of waiting a while lets go switch to AT&T now. Plus, JC had washed his 2nd phone in the washer and so it was either do that or go to Verizon and renew our 2 year contract...
Anyways...back about 3 weeks ago I had a phone interview and I was told that I was one of 25 applicants that was narrowed down out of 400.  I was super happy that I had even made it that far...but I didn't have much hope that out of 25 more I'd be number 1.  I then went to an actual interview last Wednesday.  The lady spent about an hour with me and she seemed to really like me.  She basically said "you've got the job," just not in those words.  So again I was super excited that I may actually have gotten this job.  So Monday morning I woke up and had a message on our answering machine.  It was the lady from Human Resources in Indianapolis telling me to call her back because she wanted to offer me the job.  Me?? You picked me out of 400 applicants???
So I immediately called her back....(she didn't answer..so I called again later..) and she said "Hey, the job is yours if you still want it."  Of course I took it.  I was soooooo happy.  She gave me all the details how I was going to have to go to Indy for training and what I needed to buy as far as work clothes and shoes etc.  I was soooo excited.  I was going to be making over $2.00 more an hour there than I was at my previous job.. and best of all it was part time.  So I could still make sure I can see all my cousins basketball and baseball games in the next 5 months...I could still work on Adiqshun Designs and still create things.  I could still be home...etc.  It was the PERFECT job for me.  So after I got off the phone JC and I needed to go into town because he needed to go to the unemployment office and find out why he wasn't getting paid yet... So he talked me into going up there with him and we decided since I finally got a job, that we'd go ahead and switch to AT&T and I could get my iPhone.

The next morning I get online to see if the lady from human resources had emailed me yet.  She said she would email me the address of the place I was soposed to be going to in Indy for training.  About the time I realized she hadn't emailed me, my iPhone rang.  It was her.  I was excited...I was thinking...I don't know.. anything but what she told me.

She said that yesterday after she had called me and gave me the good news that the president of the company told her to FREEZE hiring on all employees.  That they would not hire anymore employees at this time and to freeze it for 35-45 days.  She said she didn't have the heart to call me and let me down...so she waited until then...  I was devastated...  I couldn't believe that someone could do that to me.  JC and I were both so excited.  We knew with me working there, atleast one of us had a job, that we'd be okay. 

The lady said that after 45 days if the president takes the freeze off and they do hire for that position I'd be the first person she calls.  Which is great because I really do want that job but what am I going to do between now and then??  I still have unemployment but heck now a days you never know when were gonna run out of that.

So, I was employed for about 18 hours and then unemployed again.  Thank goodness I didn't go out and buy new shoes and new scrubs.  Unfortunately, I did buy my iphone.  Which I was going to get it eventually anyways...so its not that big of deal...our first months bill is gonna suck...but..we'll figure it out.  We always do.  I'm just tired of being on this Roller coaster of jobs or whatever... I go to interviews and then no call backs.  I go to interviews and get a call back....and get the job...and then lose the job...all in less than 24 hours... Is the economy ever gonna get any better?
JC found out at the unemployment office that he won't get any unemployment for atleast 8 weeks.  Thats 2 months without him making a single $1. Thank goodness we have some money in a savings account and thank goodness its tax time...  Otherwise I have no idea what we'd do.

Artwork by Kurt Halsey

New felt coasters in the shop.

I added some new things to the shop today.  I've got alot of projects sitting around on my desk so I will be adding even more soon.  With JC losing his job we only have health insurance until Friday.  So this week my schedule is full of doctor and dentist appointments.  I went to the dentist today and found out I have 4 cavities.. UCK.  I HATE the dentist...I don't even like going to get my teeth cleaned but I do it... I really don't want to go back on Thursday to get my cavativies filled...mainly because I hate the dentist but also because my copay for Thursday is $168.00.  oh my...I definately don't have the $168.00 right now to pay for that...so I'm going to have to figure something out...once we get our tax check it's not a problem but if I'm going to get my cavaties filled I have to do it this week before our health insurance terminates...So I have two dentist appointments and two doctor appointments...My week will be very costly and boring. :o)  On to the new stuff...

These are my Blue Whale Felt Coasters.  I love my little whale and I have big plans for him in the future...right now he's starting out small on coasters..but hopefully soon you'll see much more of him.

I LOVE how these turned out.  I wasn't sure at first exactly how they were going to look but I'm really happy with the end results.  I have some more shapes cut out and ready to make into some coasters.  I'm hoping to have them up in the shop by next week.

On February 1st I was planning on having vinyl wall art and my custom clear stamps up in the shop.  Due to JC losing his job and us having to cram a year's worth of doctor and dentist visits into one week it looks like that will be on hold until middle of February or beginning of March. 

Also, I forgot to mention...JC had an interview in the county south of us for a police officer position.  He had the overview Saturday morning and the agility test Saturday afternoon.  He has to return at the end of February to take the written test and then at the beginning of March he'll find out if he got the job.  We won't have to move because we live in a surrounding county which is good....so keep your fingers crossed.  He also applied at a coal mine just about 15 miles away today.  It's really not his ideal job but he would make enough money that I wouldn't have to get a full time job so I'd still be able to stay at home and work on my business....keep your fingers crossed.

Click here to visit the shop.

My 100th Blog Post

I always knew I would make it to 100 posts but I don't think I knew I'd make it this soon. My first blog post was on March 17, 2008, so it hasn't even been a year yet. (yes if you look in my archives it says I posted in 2006, but I actually took blog posts from my myspace blog and posted them here when I deleted my myspace blog) If I would have been employed the entire 2008 I'm sure I definately would not have made it to 100 posts this soon. But with having no job for the last 5 months of the year it left me with plenty of time to keep track of my random thoughts and such. Obviously I'm not going to sit here and update you on the last 100 posts of this blog (you can check the archives for that) but I am going to look forward to the next 100.
As much as I hate the thought I know I'm going to eventually have to get a "real job." I would love to continue to stay at home and create and design but at this time its just not realistic for us. JC was fired from his job yesterday as was 80 other employees from Aisin. That's their way of getting out of paying Insurance, Severance pay etc. So as of right now the most important thing is one of us to get a job as fast as possible with Insurance. We don't use it much except for petty things but knowing our luck as soon as we didn't have it, we'd need it. I'm not really gonna get into the whole JC/work thing in this post because this post is for looking ahead towards a "bright" future. (we'll save that for another post of ranting..hehe)
Anyways, I've went to 3 job interviews but have came away with no jobs. Two of the three I was really excited about and was very hopeful that the job could possibly be mine. Apparently it wasn't. If JC still had his job my plan was continue looking for a job but I wouldn't have to pick just anything.. I could actually do something I enjoy with good pay. With him not having a job now I've got to pretty much take anything I can get. That means that it could have bad pay, bad hours, etc. which also means less time to work on my dream...
Hopefully that doesn't happen, hopefully something perfect comes along for me and JC... something that we both love and something that we can still spend plenty of time together.
I know having money is important because you have to be able to have a roof over your head and food on the table...but more importantly my husband is the most important thing in my life.
I don't know...this post is sorta pointless. Weeks ago I was looking ahead planning this big giveaway and huge ordeal with my"100th Post" but now with all circumstances I just can't see doing it. So hopefully you all hang in there with me...times are tough but I have faith we'll figure this thing out together. Also, to those of you going thru the same thing...please feel free to give us some advice...we'll take anything we can get.

Happy to Sad. . .

So back on January 5 I ordered some Kurt Halsey postcards.  Every day since then I've been checking my mailbox....but no postcards.  I finally gave up hope yesterday and figured that they were just lost in the mail or something and I would never get them.  Usually when you order stuff from Kurt you get it in like less than a week.  So today JC and I (he's work is closed on fridays now) got up and ran to the bank and the post office.  When we got back JC went to the mailbox to get the mail out and there it was... My postcards from Kurt Halsey.  But wait...is that Kurt's writing on the front of the envelope??? OH MYLANTA it is!!!!!! My name written by the one and only Kurt Halsey... I think I was more excited about that than the actual post cards at this point.  I couldn't believe it.  His writing is so amazing...and to have my name (and address) written in it...wow.  

Okay...so while I was in the middle of typing this entry...JC's phone rang..I answered it was his workplace.  He works for a place called Aisin Brake.  They make brakes for Toyota and Honda.  He was laid off for three weeks during the holidays and then when he got back after the holidays they have only been working four days a week.  Yesterday they were told next week they would work Monday and then on Tuesday would have a mandatory meeting for two hours about the "Future of the Company." 

So as I was sitting here typing the phone rang and it was some guy from Aisin.  JC was outside chopping wood with his chainsaw and I yelled at him and told him phone call.  I wish I never would have answered it.  It was Aisin telling him he was fired.  See...they had just told all of their employees that they care for them and that they (the employees) are the most important thing.  But..instead of laying people off and letting them keep their insurance, give them a severance pay, and possibly pay them unemployment..they decided to fire some of their employees.  No insurance, no severance pay, and maybe no unemployment.  Apparently they do care.  HA!  So as of January 30 we have no insurance.  If my employer would have just kept me like they should have I could have just put JC on my insurance and I'd still be making decent money to where we can get by.  Now we have go thru and possibly cancel our cell phones, tv, etc.  Great...I may or may not have interenet tomorrow.... It's been a yucky week and a half... First my kitty dies and now this...wtf??

i love grey kittys

Sometime back in 2001 I rescued a kitten from our local Dairy Queen. She was very young, thin, and sick. She was living off of Dairy Queen french fries and was probably going to die if noone gave her a home. I took her into our home and I nursed her back to good health and gave her a home. We named her DQ. She was JC and I's first pet "together." She was "ours" not just mine or his. She lived with my dad and me at our home where JC eventually moved in with us. He helped me take care of her and she loved her new family. When we moved into our own home (which was next door to my dads house) she had a hard time understanding that we no longer lived there, we lived next door. It was okay at the time because my dad still lived there but eventually he sold it and new owners bought the house and DQ had to learn that she couldn't go over there anymore. One night I was looking for her and I found out that she ran in the house next door thinking it was her home still and they just let her stay in there and they fed her and acted like she was just a neighbor visiting. She was a really funny cat and even sometimes she could be a real bitch. haha But I loved her because she was the way she was.
Thursday January 15, 2009 I went to feed DQ and I found that she had passed away in her sleep. She had been sick for a while and I couldn't afford to take her to the vet. So I just babied her every day feeding her warm milk in the morning and at night before she went to bed and I wiped the sleep out of her eye that was coming from her being sick. On Wednesday we decided that if she didn't start getting better we would just have to come up with the money to take her to the vet. JC was off Friday so we figured we'd take her Friday. She didn't make it til then. I'm having a hard time forgiving myself because I think if I would have taken her to the vet when she first got sick maybe she'd be okay. Some people have said "Well you could have took her to the vet, paid all that money, and she still could have passed away." or "You could have paid all that money and then you may have had to put her to sleep and then that would have even been more money." I am glad that if she had to go, she went at her home in her sleep. But it doesn't comfort me any that she is gone. As much as I love grey kitties (thats all i've ever had) I don't think I'll be able to ever have another kitty. Noone will ever replace her. I can't imagine this spring/summer going outside and us doing our usual summer chores in our backyard and DQ not being there.

looking forward to 2009. . .

Looking forward to 2009. . .I plan to continue to enjoy life and always stop...and think what is important to me. I have learned over these past 12 months that there are some friends that will always have a special place in your heart but won't always be your "best" friends. As people grow up some choose to grow up and make adult decisions....and some choose to still follow their "young ways" and make choices and decisions that aren't "adult like." They make decisions that aren't the best for them. I have tried for many years to be the friend who supports their friends yet makes sure I tell them how I feel. As many times as I've been right (sometimes I didn't want to be) they still continue to not take my advice. I know people have to learn on their own but by the time you get to a certain age you would think that you learned your lesson from all the stuff you went through before and by now at this age you'd know what to do. When they are faced with a situation I would love for them to say "what a minute...been here done that...don't want to get screwed again" and would make the right decision. Yet...its like they say... "oh well...let see if it happens again." I don't understand. I personally don't want to surround myself with a certain type of person...if my friends choose to then that is their choice and I understand it. But I don't have to be.
So in 2009 one of my goals is to let some friends go...I don't mean ignore them, hate them, never talk to them again.. It means...still be there friend..but don't rely on them so much.  It means don't get so upset when they don't call you and invite you to do things. It means start surrounding myself with friends that make an effort. Some of my friends I don't talk to for weeks at a time. Or see for months at a time. Some I'd love to do things with them but can't because their significant other doesn't like me because they know I don't think they should be dating my friend.. etc. We'll see what happens...I'll always be there for my friends if they need me but our friendship just won't be the same.
Over 2008 I met a lot of new friends and got reacquainted with some old ones...and I realize that you won't be friends with someone forever...I live my life a certain way and I want to be able to have friends in my life that can not only spend time with me, but my husband too. I also want friends who are able to bring their mate over and be able to get along with JC. He's my number one priority in my life.... I get along with his friends spouses/significant others and so he should get along with my friends significant others. I don't know. It's something I've been thinking about for a long time. JC likes my friends and I like his. But when we want to have get togethers we have to have separate ones.. Ones for my friends..and then ones for his. His friends bring their spouses/significant others over because everyone gets along... When I invite my friends over only two of them can/will bring their mates over. One of them dates someone who doesn't exactly live the same lifestyle as we do and after the way he treats her its like shes ashamed to bring him around me or vice versa. One of my other friends just recently started dating a guy who I don't know much about but I was told he's been in prison for drugs and repeated DUI's. Now for someone who's brother was almost killed by a person who was driving under the influence....its hard for me to understand why she would even give that person a time of day. It just saddens me that we can't all just be one big happy family. I want friends who JC and I call "our friends." Not just "my" friends and "his" friends. We want to be able to have people over and have fun and it just won't ever be like that... The thing is...because those friends choose guys who are alike...they can do things together...yet JC and I aren't invited because we don't. We don't smoke, drink, do drugs, get our driving license taken away, etc. So all my other friends can get together and hang out and do things together...yet its like JC and I because we make good decisions in life and actually have things, then were not invited....it hurts me when I find out they all go out together because It's like I'm getting punished for finding a great guy and punished for making good choices. It hurts that we can't be included too. :o( So in reality... I guess its kind of a way for me to stop getting hurt.

I still have high hopes for my future even thought I'll be starting 2009 unemployed. My unemployment will run out by March and while I hope I have a good job by then, if not I plan on just trying to get a part time job somewhere and then maybe go to cosmetic school or something to where I'll be able to do school and a part time job. I'm still hoping that I'll get a full time job...but we'll see what happens. My dream is to of course own my own business creating and designing things. I will continue to push this dream until it comes true. . .

JC's career may change drastically in 2009 too. He has always wanted to be in law enforcement and has been non-stop applying for jobs since he heard that his current job could start laying off next year. He's been applying for jobs in Michigan, Illinois, Florida, California... Our main goal is to one day live in Texas. That's where we want our children to be raised but you have to have at least 2 years of experience in the field before you can get hired there. So it looks like we'll have to either stick around here for 2 years if he gets a job or if he gets a job out of our area...we've discussed moving and renting for two years and then renting out our place here to someone....and then after his two years experience hopefully be able to move to Texas like planned. So 2009 may just be the tip of the iceberg...but it hopefully will be a good building year that will help us build our future.

I am so excited to see what 2009 brings. After the holidays are over and done another goal of mine is to hopefully have my etsy shop stocked with all kinds of things. I've been working on a lot of sewing and crafting projects and hopefully will be able to start making some extra money doing that. I wish to one day be able to make enough money that I won't have to work. Depending on my job status I hope that this spring/summer I will have enough product made that I will be able to have a stand at the local flea markets, festivals, etc.

Below is a list I came up with 9 things I want to do in 2009.
01. Travel More. - I would love to visit Florida again...or Tennesse...
02. Play More Softball. - I played softball August-October but I'd like to play alot more in 2009.
03. Visit my Dad more often. - When he gets back from Florida in April I plan on visiting him alot more in 2009.
04. Cook Out More. - JC and I used to cook out every weekend in the summers, in 08 we didn't cook out once.
05. Do More to help our Earth and our Environment. - Go Green!
06. Buy Less, Make more. - I already promised I will never buy another handbag again unless its handmade by me or someone else. But I hope that I can start making other things that I can make instead of buy.
07. Do something special for our 1 year Wedding Anniversary. - not sure what yet...
08. Spend as much time with my cousin Derrik before he goes off to college. - He's super smart and has already got accepted to many colleges...unlike his lazy cousin. :o) me!
09. Christmas 2009 - All Gifts HANDMADE.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 2009. Remember to "...stop, take some time to think, and figure out what's important to you..." I did...and though I lost a very dear friend to my heart...2008 was my best year yet.

I want to live the dream. . .

My etsy shop is coming right along.  I haven't sold anything yet but I'm still very confident that soon my first sale will happen.  I've got alot of projects going on right now including getting to know my Cricut.  She has alot of possiblities and I am just at the tip of the iceberg.  I am learning a lot of new things and am loving her more and more each day.  Until I get to know her really well I didn't want to waste my vinyl by making mistakes.  So I have just been cutting on paper.  I made some Valentine's Day cards that I just put in my shop.  They turned out really cute.  Clean and simple.

I also made some business cards to send out with my orders and to carry around with me.  I printed them on my printer, not my Cricut.  They turned out okay.  It wasn't exactly what I wanted but it works.  It's the best I can do with my 4 year old HP Printer and Microsoft Word.  One day I will have a better program and a better printer to create with.

My cousin's 22nd Birthday was Saturday and i made him a Tennessee Titans Birthday Cake.  I think it turned out really cool.  I just printed off their logo from their webpage and then cut it out.  Then i laid it on top of the cake and traced it with a toothpick.  Then I just used icing and started coloring in the design.  I just held the picture up and looked off it to know where each color went.  I love it.  Everyone else in the family, including my cousin did too.

Life is good.  JC got an umpiring contract for this weekend in Lafayette.  He'll be gone friday nite, all day saturday, and then back sunday afternoon.  He's hoping to make somewhere around $300.  That will help us out so much with him being off of work for 3 weeks with basically no pay.  So this weekend he'll be out of town making money and I hope to stay home and make lots of stuff to put in my store.

Christmas is over. . .

Hey Ya'll. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I did! :o) Wednesday night was Christmas Eve and we do what we do every year, go to my grandma's house. We ate (alot) and played some card games and opened gifts. From my grandma I got my Cricut, some boxers from American Eagle that I had picked out from the AERIE section, some clogs from American Eagle, a rotary cutter with a mat, and money. From my Aunt I got a Dallas Cowboys purse, some cricut accessories, awesome North Face clogs/slippers, and my coach purse. Do you guys remember my Coach purse I bought back in April and then realized that I needed the $300 more than I needed the actual purse, so i put it up for sale online. Well my aunt told me that one of my cousin's friends wanted to buy it. So she took it and then the next day brought me $225, which is what I said I would sell it for. Well that was in August so for the last 5 months thats what I thought happened to it. I start opening my christmas gifts and my aunt says "open this one first..." So I open it and its my coach purse. I'm like....what the hell? I was confused?? Did they go buy it from the store? Wait..is this MY purse? haha So she told me the story how her and my grandma just couldn't stand the thought of me selling it when they knew I obviously wanted it because I had bought it to begin with. haha So they made up the story that someone wanted to buy it but really they bought it. :o) I have the best aunt and grandma in the world. haha
Anyways...she got me alot of little accessories and stuff. Then she also always brings me a stocking over on Christmas Day and inside it was lots of fabric, thread, pins, candy, and a really cute Vera Bradley coin purse. I don't like Vera Bradley..especially for being 25...I think it looks like stuff only people like 40 and over would carry...LOL So I always made fun of my aunt when she would talk about it I would call her an old lady..until the other day I found a cute pattern that had an OWL on it. I wouldn't carry the actual purse..but I did like the little coin purse. So she bought it for me. It's super cute. We left my grandma's around 10:00 and got home and JC and I decided to open our gifts from eachother because we'd be kinda busy visiting family on Thursday. I got him a pair of camo shorts, some work jeans, movies, some awesome Dallas Cowboys playing cards, and a chainsaw. He was so excited. He's been wanting a chainsaw forever so that he could cut down trees and chop wood. I was really having a hard time buying it for him 1. because they're expensive and 2. because he is the most accident prone person I know. I'll I kept thinking was if he hurts hiself or kills hiself with the chainsaw I bought him, I'd never forgive myself. But I decided to buy it for him. He promises me he'll be extra careful. :o) He got me The Sex and the City DVD, some Cricut accessories, a clock that I wanted for our living room, candles, and the Arizona Wildcats sweatpants from the Victoria's Secret PINK University Set.

Thursday was Christmas we went and ate lunch at his aunts house with his family and then in the afternoon we went down to my moms house and ate and opened gifts. From my mom I got a crock/candle holder thing for my kitchen that matches all my BELIEVE stuff, a $100 giftcard to Wal-Mart, and two cartridges for my Cricut. Justin got some Carhart longjohns, house slippers, and a $100 gift card to Save-A-Lot. I'm super excited about the $100 gift card to Save-A-Lot. haha That's ALOT of groceries.

My dad is in Florida and I miss him alot this year. Christmas Day was also his 60th birthday. I sent him a card telling him how much I love him and how important he is in my life. I really wanted to spend christmas and his birthday with him this year and had planned it but with not having a job it is pretty much impossible. I talked to him on the phone for a bit last nite and he said "hey..with you not working and JC off for a couple weeks...why don't you guys fly down for a while and stay." I really wish we could.. but with him being off and me not having a job we just don't have the extra money for plane tickets. It kills me to not be with him on Christmas.

my dog Lacey saved the day. . .

so we have two dogs. Lacey who sleeps on the floor on a dog bed with blankets and Bella who sleeps in bed with us. Lacey has a "spinkter" problem. Her spinkter doesn't work right and when she is sleeping it relaxes and she pees. She's had this problem since being about 1 year old and we've just came to be used to it. She sleeps on a waterproof bed and I was the cover once a week. We came to manage it very well. When she was younger she would lay anywhere in the house to take a nap and then when she got up and walked away we didn't understand why our carpet was wet. She's a great dog who I rescued from the pound and something as little as her having a bladder problem isn't going to stop me from giving her a great home. Anyways shes a very smart dog and always makes sure I'm not forgetting something or doing something wrong. When I cook dinner (i'm getting better..but at first when we moved on our own I had no idea what i was doing) she sits by the back door so that If the place was to catch on fire she was able to escape and I'm sure she'd take me with her. I am extremely terrible about putting a pot of water & tea bags on the stove to make tea and then get busy doing something and totally forget. So when she starts to smell the tea she comes into the living room and makes noises so that I remember to turn it off.

At 7 am this morning she was on my side of the bed making her usual noises. They aren't barks or crys....I can't really explain what they are but anyways she was next to the bed making her noises which usually means she needs to go outside or she wants covered up. So I got up out of bed and walked towards the bedroom door and she jumped in her bed and looked up at me telling me she was cold and wanted covered up. As I was covering her up I realized the house seemed really cold. We usually keep the thermostat set at 68 to save energy and money but it seemed much colder than 68. I woke Justin up and told him that it felt cold and he got up and checked...it was 55 degrees in our house and our furnance wasn't working...GREAT. So as I'm laying in bed and can hear him twiddle around with the furnance trying to figure out what is wrong I'm laying in bed thinking...okay..let me get this straight.. I get laid off....JC then gets laid off, its 4 days before christmas...and now our effin' furnace quit working?? what the hell? who did I piss off? haha

We called around and finally got someone to come out about 8 am. Twenty minutes, a new part, & probably $100 and some dollars later...our furnace is back to warming up our house. He said he'd just bill us so I don't know how much that 20 minutes on a sunday cost us but I guess it was worth it to have a warm home.

It is awfully chilly outside today. . .

That was the sentence I was given at our 7th grade spell bowl tournament. Me being the cocky, so sure of myself, type of person. I set up straight in my seat and wrote down Chili. C-H-I-L-I. We had a teacher/parent sitting next to each person from each school and when told, they are to raise their hands if the child next to them is right. My person was the ONLY one who didn't raise their hand. I looked over in the bleachers at my team and they all had a very confused look on their face. haha I was wrong. I knew it was CHILLY, that is like the easiest word EVER...and I wrote CHILI. I will never know why I did that. haha Probably because it's one of those "its so easy that I just overlooked it" but maybe it was because it was cold in that gym and I was hungry and wanted chili. haha who knows. Its just one of those memories I'll never forget.

Speaking of not forgetting things...lately I've been forgetting things..A LOT. In the past 2-3 weeks I've left my cell phone EVERYWHERE. I never do that. I'm a very OCD person who makes sure I've got everything..and everything is in its exact place..etc. But I went out to eat with some friends at Garfield's a couple of weeks ago and as we started walking through the mall I realized I had left my cell phone on our table. Then last Friday when I was at Derrik's basketball game I left my phone on the bleachers... Thank goodness my aunt was there and grabbed it for me. What is wrong with me? Maybe its age..I mean I am 25. Maybe at 25 your memory starts going.. I don't know...But I've always been the type of person to where someone can come up and say "hey remember that one nite when we did this..." and I can think about it for a second...and I can give them the day of the week it was on or the shirt someone was wearing.. I have an extremely good memory. Or maybe I should say I HAD a good memory.

The picture above is of JC & Bella sleeping next to me while I was sitting on the couch on my laptop the other nite. Bella opened her eyes when she heard my digital camera turn on but it didn't really effect her any. It's like she's giving me the look "mom...put the camera away..I'm trying to sleep."