A day to remember...June 18

June 18 was a very memorable day for me. I turned 30. And, not only did I turn 30, but Ryan asked me to marry him! Yes, it was the most amazing moment. It was 7:15am, I was getting ready for work and Ryan went out to the garage to give Sheely her medicine so I could take her to the vet for "another" checkup. As I was getting ready, I heard Ryan yelling for me, in a panic, to come out to the garage. So, I run out there not understanding what is wrong. Ryan never gets worked up like this. So, he proceeds to tell me that Sheely ripped out her stitches. I had a hard time believing this because she is still wearing the cone on her head. He starts laughing at me and says he's kidding. By this time, he is already on one knee and I didn't realize it. He then says, "I have something to ask you." I was like, "What? I need to finish getting ready." He then asks me to marry him with the ring in his hand. I was speechless, in shock, feelings of anxiety and happiness began to overwhelm me which kept me from answering his question. After I pulled myself together, I accepted. He was trying to find a way to put the ring on Sheely's neck, but was having a tough time due to her bonnet. Anyway, it was great! This was a day I wish I could have just stayed home from work to gather my thoughts and feelings as I was not "thinking straight" at work all day. A week ago, he called my Dad to get his permission to marry me. This meant so much to me. Not only that, but he also asked my brother, Eric, for his blessing. Eric and I are very close so this was very meaningful as well.

After my wonderful day at work, Ryan and I had been planning on going out for dinner for my birthday. So, we decided to meet his sister and her husband for drinks at Boston's and then decide where we were going to eat. Upon my arrival waited about 40 people...friends and family, ready to help me celebrate my big day. It was amazing. I was not expecting my 30th birthday to turn out the way it did. And, for Ryan to do such a great job of planning and staying so calm through it all was exceptional.

The ring....I know you are all ancy to find out what it looks like. I tried taking a picture of, but it did not turn out well. I have a white gold band, princess cut solitaire with 5 diamonds down each side. Then, the most exciting part about this ring is a "rose gold" piece (looks like bronze) that wraps around the band with little pink diamonds all around it. Its gorgeous and so different! I will keep working on trying to take a good picture of it...but, am struggling right now.

Anyway, I wanted to share this as it was a beautiful day. I am very happy and excited to marry Ryan as he is truly a great guy. I couldn't ask for a better man to spend the rest of my life with. I do consider myself lucky to have come across such a great man! The silly thing is, neither of us would have ever thought about dating each other when we were in high school. God has a way of bringing two together and helping one find love when they are least expecting it! xoxo

More stitches...

Not much to report on this week. Last weekend, I went to Aberdeen for my cousin TJ's wedding. I drove there with Eric's girlfriend, Victoria. We had a great time visiting with friends and family. The wedding was Friday night so I spent the rest of the weekend in Miller with my parents. On Sat, I helped my Dad do yardwork and clean up some things around the house. It was FREE dump weekend in Miller, so we took advantage of that.

Ryan stayed in Sioux Falls to work on his investment property he purchased last week. He bought a house to fix and flip. He spent the weekend tearing off the deck, pulled out all the old carpet, cut down all the overgrown landscaping as this home was a repo. Its a mess, but will look very nice once he is done with it. Last night, he gutted the kitchen, tore out all the cabinets and the flooring. He is spending every minute working on this house outside of his full time job. Was great to get back and see all the work he did.

I took Sheely to the vet this morning. She had tore both bandages off her hind legs yesterday. When we picked her up today, they had to stitch her up again in places she tore them out. They finally put a bigger cone on her head so she cannot reach her legs. I am hoping this works. This is starting to get costly as I have invested well over $500 in trying to get her back to normal in the past couple weeks. Don't get me wrong, its definitely worth it as she has become a great dog. But, am starting to wonder if she should have dog insurance. ha. Anyway, she does not go back until next week Monday for her next visit.

Other than that, not much else is going on here. I am on my last week of classes and finals next week. I am so excited about it as I have mentally shut myself down on school. I'm burned out and happy to admit it only because the end is near.

Rough Weekend - Part 2

Monday's visit to her doctor was sad. She ended up getting 16 stitches between her groin and both legs. Not only that, but she has to wear this ugly cone on her head for two weeks so she doesn't tear off her bandages or stitches. The vet prescribed yet another med to add to the list as well as applying antibiotic salve to her wounds. I cannot even remember to take my own vitamins everyday, let alone try to keep up with all these meds and how many times a day she needs them. But, the motherly instinct sets in when needed. It hasn't been that bad taking care of her. She was moving very slow on Tues and I'm sure its due to tenderness from the stitches. I took her back yesterday to get new bandages put on and to find out one of her legs is not healing. Its going to take a little longer than expected. She hasn't been eating or drinking much since the accident, so I am hoping she will get use to this cone on her head and buck up. She runs into everything, and I just have to laugh. Its almost like having a drunk dog around. Other than that, she is doing fine and seems to be in good spirits!

Rough Weekend - June 2, 2007

Well, we kind of had a rough weekend. Ryan and I were outside hauling rock to the backyard on Sat afternoon as we have been doing alot of landscaping around his house. Well, we stopped to visit with our neighbor for a bit and Sheely decides to chase a Grand Cherokee down the street. Yep, it happened! She got ran over! We took her to the Emergency Room on Sat night after getting her calmed down. The vet took x-rays and thankfully found no broken bones. Most of her hind legs were banged up pretty bad. She was "skinned" in many places and there were a couple of pieces hanging. As you can see in the pictures, both of her legs are wrapped and I didn't take any pics of the inside groin as its probably not anything that needs to be posted on here. Its gross. The vet did not sedate her for stitches, but rather bandaged her and gave her meds to get her through the weekend. We were instructed to take her in for a visit to her normal doctor first thing Monday morning as she was in need of stitches. She was unable to walk after the accident (who would after being ran over by a car??). But, we woke up Sunday morning to a normal dog. She was walking and acting like nothing happened. We are very thankful that she didn't get hurt any worse. Its amazing how emotionally a person can be attached to an animal especially in situations like this.

More to come on Monday's visit to the doctor!

May? Where did it go?

Well, its great to be back in the blog world. Its been pretty crazy for me down here. I have been very busy at work as well as getting ready for graduation on June 23rd. Ryan and I have been busy on the weekends doing yardwork and spending time with family and friends. Things are still going great! Lots of changes in the past month for me. I bought a new vehicle....well, used...but new to me. I decided since I'm turning 30 in a couple weeks and graduating from college, I should grow up and start driving something nicer. I have always had "runners" to drive...the kind of car that gets you where you need to go. I'm sure you've all had them. Well, I stepped up to the plate and decided to get a 2006 Mitsubishi Endeavor. I couldn't pass up the offer or the warranty that came with the vehicle. Great deal! Anyway, this is not the exact picture as I bought it at Vern Eide, not Chevrolet of SFalls. But, mine looks very close to this and its silver.

The Verdict is Out!

Sheely is not pregnant. Its almost been 3 weeks ago now - when we were suppose to take her back to the vet to have her checked and an ultra sound. We decided not to take her because we didn't see her tummy getting any bigger. So, we just decided to drop it and not waste the money if it wasn't necessary.

As for me, of course I'm a little bummed out about it because there is nothing cuter than newborn puppies. But, also happy that she's not preggo because right now, I don't have the time to take care of puppies. I've been putting in some long hours between work and school, so haven't even seem much of Ryan and Sheely in the past month and a half. They are generally sleeping when I leave in the morning and sleeping when I get home. I will say no more.

Anyway, I know all of you are "dying" to hear the news...so, I thought I'd write a quick note.

Time to order checks...

Fun in the Sun / Sassy Stripes


Pink Ribbon / Kate


Geobright / Let it Snow

Well, its time to order checks again. For those of you who don't know, I am a check fanatic! I am all about finding a new, different design for checks and seriously get excited when its time to purchase a new box. My last design was the "Let it Snow" design above. I was a bit concerned when I bought my last box that I would not get them used up before the season is over. Ha. Guess what, thanks to the last 4 days of snow, I was able to make it through the winter with these checks. HA.

As you can see above, I found many cool check designs - especially the pink ones, named after a friend of mine. Kate, don't get a big head now. I did decide to go with these pink ones! I just couldn't pass them up. I'm really not a pink kind of girl, but think I need a little color in my life right now. There are multiple designs for each check above. The are so cute. You can check them out at this address: http://secure.checksinthemail.com/line.aspx?lineid=105

Quote ~

I received this quote the other day and thought I'd share.

"God determines who walks into your life... it's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go."

p.s.

By the way, I'll be back in action once I get this new template thing figured out. I've been missing in action for the past few weeks and miss all of you. I don't feel the need to expand on the last few weeks of my busy hectic schedule.

HELP!

Ok, so I have just spent about 1 1/2 hours online looking for a cool new blogger template (yep, to get on board with the rest of you bloggers). Needless to say, there are not many "cool" ones out there...but, I did find 2-3 wordpress themes that I like. When I downloaded them, they were saved as a zip file. When I attempted to download them into my blog, I get an error. How difficult can this be? Does anyone have any helpful hints for me? I have very little patience for this kind of stuff. I'm even more frustrated with all the darn advertisements that take you to the same website on each click. Its annoying.

Do I need to download just blogger templates? or does MySpace layouts work for this?

Am I suppose to be downloading wordpress themes for my blog?

I guess I don't know the difference.....HELP!

Interesting Solution...

I received this email today ~ thought I'd share!!

Like a lot of folks in this state I have a job. I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit.

In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test, with which I have no problem.

What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test. Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them??

Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do on the other hand have a problem with helping someone sitting on their ass. Could you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?????

The verdict....

Just got off work, so I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I know that inquiring minds want to know...so, I took Sheely to the vet this afternoon. The vet said that she couldn't tell at this point because its too early. She did notice that Sheely is starting to "develop bags"...but, it could either be a bad pregnancy or that she is really pregnant. So, we scheduled another appt in 3 wks as a follow up. I am suppose to watch her belly area to see if it starts getting any bigger or not. If her belly is bigger in three weeks, they will be able to do an ultra sound to verify the results. Not much news to report tonight. Gotta scoot...good night.

Shower curtain shopping...

Ok, so while I am sitting at home, sick and bored on St Patty's Day, I decided to look around on the internet again for a shower curtain in hopes I'd get lucky! I moved my "old" shower curtain to Ryan's bathroom tonight and decided to move forward on my mission to find something I like. DING DING DING! I got lucky and found this one at Bed, Bath & Beyond...and fell in love with it. I'm concerned about the greens in this curtain not matching what I have on the wall. So, I may have to repaint, but will go pick this up tomorrow and see what happens. I guess this will test my ability to match colors! I plan to pick up some mocha rugs to offset the green a little. Then, when I get my choc brown vinyl lettering back from Uppercase Living, I will put this on the wall as a decoration. I think this could be a nice looking bathroom once I'm finished. I also found a few more that I liked, but are very simple and probably a little too plain but can also be accented easily. Enjoy!!!



Mocha - pretty simple, but would look good with my green wall as well as mocha accents!










Chocolate suede - cute and simple and would look good with the green wall...and accent everything else with browns!












Stripes - cute, but has a tint of green that might look good with my green wall. I think this has too much reddish-pink in it! Too busy.





Anyway, let me know what you like. I'm slow to make decisions, but am now forced to make one quick or I won't be showering in my own bathroom for awhile!

p.s. I cannot post a new picture of Ryan's bathroom yet until he gets the new mirror hung up. My "old" shower curtain looks great in his newly painted bathroom! I came home from work the other night and he had put the new countertop, sink and faucet in. Looks so nice! I'm amazed by what he can do. He thinks I'm crazy for being so proud of him but doesn't realize how handy he really is. Not alot of people can just replace a countertop, sink and faucet without it being a 2 day project. He did it in 2-3 hours.

Happy St Patty's Day!

And, I'm at home sick! Boring. I came down with a nasty cold and sinus infection two days ago and its been nothing but horrible. I went to work today for about 7 hours and was suppose to go to a friends house to play Texas Holdem tonight. I didn't think that would be a good idea as my body would continue to stay weak if I went out drinking tonight. So, I'm home alone with my "assumed pregnant dog". Ryan went to play Texas Holdem to see if he can win some money. Fun fun. We were watching the news before he left and they said there are more cops out tonight than usual and they will be having checkpoints. Its normal for Sioux Falls to have these about once a month. He didn't seem too worried because he didn't plan on drinking for this reason. I'm so proud of him. I told him if he changes his mind to call me for a ride. So, we'll see how the night goes. Anyway, HAPPY GREEN DAY!

I think.......

my dog is pregnant! I came home from work today over my lunch hour and let her out of her kennel. Ok, I should go back a few days...last weekend I bought a used kennel for Sheely. She now has her own space with her dog house and loves it! And, being the worry wort that I have been about kenneling her, I am finally at ease knowing that she is happy. When its time to "kennel up", she runs right in there and is completely fine with it. Once in awhile she will wimper, but that's the extent of it. I hope she doesn't figure out how to "bark". ha.

Anyway, so I come home from work over lunch today and let her out to hang with me while I eat and chill a bit. I was rubbing her belly and noticed she is starting to get bags. She has been in heat for the past 3-4 weeks and during that time, I also noticed her developing tits. So, I'm somewhat excited about this, not that I want a bunch of pups running around, but the fact that my dog "might" be pregnant is kind of exciting. I've noticed since she's been in heat that she has been very clicky with me and has to be everywhere I am - even when I go to the bathroom. Its cute, but gets annoying once in awhile. She has also started listening very well and her whole mannerisms are amazing. She hasn't wanted to play "fetch" like she use to. I told Ryan last weekend that I thought it was odd and she's been so droopy lately. But, of course didn't think much of it.

Anyway, so I call the vet to tell them whats been going on. I asked if it was normal for a dog to get tits during their heat cycle, and she said no. Then, I asked if it sounds like she might be pregnant. She said, well, yes its very possible. If she's not pregnant she could be having a bad pregnancy and might be miscarriaging (if thats what ya call it in dog-terms). So, I set up an appointment to get her checked out next week Tuesday...so, I'll definitely keep you posted.

The scary thing is, we haven't seen her in contact with any other dog. The dogs she has played with are fixed/nuetered. So, if she is pregnant, we have no idea what the mix will be. Those couple of days when we were gone and she jumped the fence, very well could have done the job. I guess we will find out next Tues!

Addicted!

Ok, so I am starting to believe that I am addicted to blogging. During my 3 hr class (Investments = boring) on Monday night, I am trying to be a tentative student by listening to the teacher and comment on any questions he asks the class. By about the 2nd hour, I am seriously bored and trying to stay away from the blog world. But, of course, couldn't do it because I needed to do something to keep me awake. So, I load up my blog site and start reading blogs...and I'm having fun reading them as everyone wrote very interesting stuff on Monday. In the meantime, I stop periodically to look at the teacher and nod my head once in awhile so he still thinks I'm listening. By this time, my mind has shut down on listening to "How to price a stock and what price would you pay to get a return on your investment?" and start wandering and thinking about "crocs" and "Class Ring" and "being an intrusive blogger" and "little stinker" and "Dawson in SFalls"...the great blogs that come after a weekend. Without thinking, my fingers are going a mile a minute commenting on some of the Monday blogs not realizing what is going on in class. All of a sudden, the room gets quiet, I keep punchin' away on the keys, my teacher is still talking, but my fellow classmates are staring at me. So, I stop, look up and my teacher says, "Brandi, what do you think about this?" And, I was speachless. I respond, "Think about what?" He starts laughing and says that he has been talking to me for the past 5-10 minutes and I wasn't realizing it. So, I get defensive only because I'm tired and was not in the mood for class, and say, "I'm sorry, but I can only listen to this stuff for so long." The class starts laughing but my teacher didn't think much of it only because he is one of the big investment gooroo's at Wells Fargo. Its a good thing I have a good relationship with him and am doing well in the class because he really doesn't have any ammo against me.

Now, back to being addicted. I'm guilty in the first degree. And, after reading Kerrie's blog about whether its right or wrong to be intrusive on others' lives...well, I don't think that is the case. There is a reason why people blog. If they don't want you to know something about them, then they wouldn't post or choose the option to show the world their blogs. At first, I thought it was stupid and never thought I would EVER find the time to do it. Ya know what, I will always find the time to do something I enjoy. Not only that, I am finding that I am more in touch with some of my friends whom I don't talk to on the phone or see every day, weekly, monthly or even yearly. Its great to read different views that people have on specific topics; or what is going on with their children/family (I love the funny stories about what kids are doing and saying). Its fun for me to get those comments at work as it enlightens my day to think of my friends instead of just work. So, cheers to all of my friends reading this....go bloggers! (giggle).

The Flock ~

I just got off work...and need to vent a bit. I started getting up at 5am to go to the gym every morning this week. When we (Amanda, Ryan's sister, and I) arrived this morning around 5:30am, I found a line of people standing outside the building. My first thought was that we might have been sleep walking and ended up at Best Buy during Christmas time. I couldn't figure out what was going on (still half asleep). I asked Amanda what was going on and she thought the gym opened at 5am - only to find out it opened at 5:30am and these people flock to the elyptical (sp) machines & treadmills to make sure they get on a machine. Now, I thought I was crazy for getting up that early in the morning, but it seemed to be a normal thing for these other folks. At the same time, I was enlightened as I watched each of them get started with their morning work out. This has simply become a normal part of their day. They are working men/women who may have families to be home to every night after work, cook supper, etc. There just isn't time for them to do this in the evenings. I thought to myself, "Now that I am getting back into the swing of working out, I need to make this a part of my every day life." Its tough getting up that early, but must say that I "feel" better after a hard workout and have had a more positive attitude going to work, school, and back to work again.

Monday - 5:30-7am workout; 8-5 work; 5:30-8:15pm school; and back to work 8:30-11 last night.

Tues - 5:30-7 workout; 8am - 10pm work.
Wed - 5:30-7am workout; 8-5pm work; 5:30-8:30 class; will finally be home early to see Ryan.
Thurs - 8-6pm work; 6-11 (or later) work...as I do payroll for the company and never know what time I will be off.
Fri - 5:30-7am workout; 8-5 (or whenever I get off) work - and hope for an evening with Ryan.
Sat-Sun: I won't get into this...but, do end up working some hours over the wkend.

Now, its starting to make sense to me. If I hadn't gotten up to work out the past couple mornings, I wouldn't have had time to do it in the evening. I am realizing for me to stay happy and positive, I need to be doing this every morning; not only for the weight loss, but to stay sane with my busy life. I don't see this "lightening up" anytime soon or until I am done with school. Anyway, I didn't mean to get carried away here, but had to chuckle about the crazy work-out gooroo's in the morning!

Great News...

I received an email from my friend, Tanya, saying she is pregnant! The email brought tears to my eyes as she lost her first child (still born). My heart goes out to her and Lorne and I wish them the best of luck through this pregnancy.

I have had two great/best friends lose their first child to miscarriages and stillborn situations. I am saddened thinking about it because it was such horrible news when I received the phone calls from both of them. But, at the same time, see two strong women who haven't given up. I have much respect and loyalty for both of you girls (if you are reading this) because God has his way of dealing with things that we sometimes just don't understand. I truly believe he was watching out for you, your family and your unborn children. Now, one of them, Kate, had her second child, a boy, and its so great to read her blog everyday to see what a great mother she has become. The other one, well, she is pregnant again as I noted above and am looking forward to hearing about her progress and hope for the best. My prayers are with you Tanya! You need to start a blog so we can stay updated with you as you go through the next 7 months.

Love you both!!

Bathroom update ~

Ryan and I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond yesterday to look at shower curtains. I am not the quickest to make a decision because I seriously do lots of homework when it comes to picking out colors and matching things up. So, we look and look and look. Lots of ideas, but nothing really popped out (without me having to re-paint my bathroom). So, I didn't find anything, but spent some time on the internet last night looking around as well. Ryan's bathroom will not be finished until I find a shower curtain! Ha. Plus, he is still waiting for the new countertop to come in. I will definitely post pics when its completed.

She figured it out...

After all the snow we received here, Sheely figured out how to jump the fence this weekend. I guess it doesn't take much when she only had about a 2-3 ft spread to jump. I worked at the Home Show till 9:30 pm last night and Ryan went snowmobiling all day till 9pm last night. When we got home, Sheely wasn't here. I was a little scared, only to find a note on our front door from a neighbor stating that Sheely was in their garage. He said she had jumped the fence about five times before he decided to take her home with him. Thank god for friendly neighbors always watching out for us.

After church today, Ryan and I decided to shovel the drifts around the house to ground level so she cannot jump the fence - thinking we would outsmart her. WRONG. She still figured it out. All she wanted to do is go play with her friend, Duece, a white German Shepard who lives next door to us. Duece is 4 times Sheely's size, but they love to play together and size doesn't matter to either of them.

I guess this confirms our decision to kennel her. As much as I hate locking animals up in a kennel, we have no choice now. I'm sure the next thing we will deal with is a barking dog! Oh my.

Before...

Ryan is not working today or tomorrow and decided to paint the bathroom and tear everything apart. So, I took these pics last night before bed. I was really looking forward to painting over the clouds myself...but, was also glad to come home to a normal looking bathroom. I can't wait to "give" him my shower curtain, so I can get a new one for my bathroom. hehe.

When I got home at 3pm, the walls were painted and he just got the new light hung above the mirror. Now, he is moving the outlet (plug-in) about 2-3 inches to the left of where it is at now so he can put a bigger mirror above th vanity. Simple remodel huu!

Trip to Menards ~

Last night, Ryan called me at work to see what time I was getting off because he wanted me to go to Menards with him. I told him I'd be home around 6. By now, he knows it will be at least another hour before he sees me. Well, by 8pm, I was still there and decided to leave because I knew Menards closes at 9 - I didn't want to let him down and felt so bad. So, I rush home, pick him up and we're off to Menards. On our way, he's telling me he wants to get a new sink, bathroom faucet, shower head and lights for above the mirror (all for the bathroom). So, I'm excited to be able to help him out with this. We get there and I just let him lead the way and start showing me what he wants to do. As a reminder, we live in a house that was built in the late 80's (with brass EVERYTHING - door knobs, shower heads, faucets, etc) and not much updating has been done other than new carpet and painting the walls "light beige". He already ordered the countertop for the vanity - so, we find a sink, no big deal. Next, the faucets/shower head/etc. He's looking at all these fancy items and we are having fun. But, by this time, I needed to do something because ya just don't put "fancy" stuff (wrot iron faucets, etc) in an older house unless you intend on remodeling the whole bathroom. The wrot iron faucet doesn't go with the wood vanity/woodwork in the bathroom. Finally, I told him to stop and explained to him that he needs to come down a level. We are not fixing up a $500,000 house and need to keep the faucets somewhat in line with what we have to work with. Don't get me wrong, I love his taste....but needed to explain to him that we can get all this fancy stuff when we decide to build our own house in a few years. He had to think about this for a minute because he didn't realize what he was doing and is so use to building fancy homes...he didn't know any better. Funny, but true. So, we continue picking things out and in the past, I always give him my thoughts and he never seems to go with what I think (or that's what I think anyways). So, I just wasn't being very decisive and more along for the ride and support of this bathroom remodel. This isn't my house and don't think its really my place to decide what he should do. So, I tell him this. And he says, "Well, I wouldn't be doing all this if it wasn't for you." And, I just smile because I explained to him a few months ago that it wouldn't hurt to start do a little updating in his house so it will sell faster. My idea of a little updating was more along the lines of, "painting the walls"...but, I guess we are going an extra step in the bathroom....which is ok, because it needs it. So, really, he does listen and care about my thoughts...and takes action on it.

Anyway, I really didn't have a "point" to my story - just thought it was kinda cute and wanted to share. We get along so well and its actually fun doing these things with him. I'm even more pleased to find out that we really do have the same taste, just not on paint colors. Yikes! I am truly thankful to be dating such a laid back guy. We cannot get into an argument over anything.

Let it snow!!!

Just when I thought it was starting to get nice, we get more snow. I don't mind it so much because I enjoy the beauty of it; I just don't care for the icy roads. Ryan and I spent our weekend cleaning the house since there wasn't much we could do outside because of the weather. At around 8pm last night, we got a wild hair to paint his bathroom. So, I get my painting clothes on and am all excited about it...for those of you who don't know, I LOVE to paint! Then, we started talking about putting a new vanity/sink/mirror in his bathroom. Well, all of this must be done before painting; so we decided to wait. Of couse, I'm excited to get this project done because I am going to put my shower curtain and rugs in his bathroom, so I can go buy a new one. I'm ready for a change in my bathroom and they don't seem to care what they have. Men are easy to please - most of the time. He has a countertop picked out and will be ordering that soon so we can get rid of his "bachelor" bathroom (gray/white sponge painted walls - looks kinda like thunder clouds) on the main floor. I have always enjoyed picking colors out and designing a different look to a room. I told him that when he is ready to sell this place, he will need to start doing some work to update it a little. So, we talked about putting a new countertop in the kitchen and painting the whole upstairs a darker color. He currently has "light beige" (almost white) walls in every room in this house except my bathroom which he painted for me when I moved in. Thank god! haha. So, I'm trying to talk him into putting a dark red or brown on two walls in the kitchen, but I don't know if he'll go for that. ha.

Today, we got up early to blow snow and shovel. We went across the street to do our neighbors driveway and sidewalks as well. Her husband drives truck and isn't around a lot, so we try to help her out as much as we can. He even taught me how to use the snowblower...but I'm not sure that was a good idea. ha. After that, Levi, David (Ryan's cousin) Ryan and I went for brunch at Spezia and I'm still full. I went to work for about 5 hours this afternoon and just got home not too long ago. Ryan went snowmobiling with his cousin. I think they are planning a trip to the Hills next weekend. He's been on the phone trying to round up some boys to go. They will leave Thurs night and come back Sun or Mon. He's getting excited already...just like a kid in a candy store. I guess this wraps up my weekend!

2 weeks..and no blog!

Well, I received an email from Kate today wondering what I've been doing the past couple weeks. Sorry Kate. I have been thinking about everyone and ansy to get online to read blogs and write one. Here I am. Its 7:45pm and I don't know where the last two weeks have gone.

I have simply been working some crazy hours as we are starting to get very busy in the mortgage industry. I love it though! I was recently promoted to a Loan Processor / Administrator at Keystone Mortgage where I now process the loans, will continue doing the books, payroll, and taxes for the company. On top of that, I am also bringing in business and helping people finance their dream home. I have a great challenge in front of me, which makes me work harder! My ultimate goal is to perfect this industry and know every detail of it - like I do in all my other jobs I've done. What I hate about it all, is that I get bored after I have it perfected and know everything about it...and feel the need to move on to something else. I think this will be quite a challenge for a few years anyway. My days/weeks consist of working from 8am - 10pm or later (1:30am last night)...aside from leaving for a few hours to go to class. Needless to say, I haven't seen much of Ryan lately...and he keeps asking me when he will get to spend some time with me.

Last weekend Friday, I went to Spirit Lake, IA to stay with an old friend from college, Sheila Bullerman. She had an Uppercase Living party and it was so neat. I have told some of you about it, but you need to check out this website: www.uppercaseliving.com This is a company that is not very well known, or at least I haven't heard about it before...but, it is a "different" way of decorating your home. You purchase vinyl letters/sayings and put them on your wall, instead of hanging a print, picture or crafty item on your wall. Its so different, and that's what I love about it. If you are interested, please let me know because I would like to have a party soon. I bought some things to put on the "boring" walls at Ryan's house and will take pictures and post them once I am finished. Anyway, it was great to see Sheila after about six years! She hasn't changed a bit!

Anyway, on Saturday, I got up early and headed for Madison, SD for a 1-yr birthday party for Alonna Kay LeFebvre! What a great day. I can't believe she is already 1! Her parents threw a very nice party for her and it was great to see Julie/Nicks family and friends I use to visit when I lived there. I then decided to spend the night with Julie and we went to Rumors for a "few" drinks and turned out closing down the bar. Had a great time....but, felt like an 'oldie' - as I didn't know anyone but a few people I knew when I worked at Gehl.

That's about it. I am finally going to spend some time with my boyfriend this weekend and "try" not to go to work so I can relax before another busy week starts for me.

Weekends...

Why do they go so fast! It seems to me like my life is in "fast-forward" mode and I do not have any control to slow it down. When we were in college, I remember it seemed like eternity for Christmas break or Spring Break to roll around. And now, we are in the middle of February, and time is just flyin'. Must just be a part of "growing older". As for my weekend ~ Ryan and I went out with some friends on Friday night for wings and beer; needless to say, we got a little out of control. I won't go into details...but, ya know, we don't do that very often so it was ok.

On Saturday, we cleaned house and took off to Parkston, SD to stay with one of my best friends, Carrie Oakley, from college and her family. We went to church, made chili, played with her two little girls, read them books before bedtime and learned how to play pinnacle. Now, talk about a difficult card game. When I learned how to play Texas Hold'em, I thought it was confusing...but, it doesn't compare to this! Her husband, Brad, is a very good pinnacle player, so he was trying to teach Carrie, Ryan and I how to play...and I give that boy a lot of credit! He was so patient and we ended up playing until 2am. What a night! Carrie & I went to bed at that time, and the boys stayed up till 3:30am playing. I think Ryan is addicted now. Ha. In the midst of it all, I was so sick with a sinus infection, my eyes were so puffy I could hardly see!

Today, we didn't do much. Ryan spent the afternoon lounging and I went to work for about 7 hours...so, I didn't quite get a nap in. We had our roommate, Levi, watch Sheely last night - only to come home and find that she chewed up Ryans work boots. No comment. And here it is, 8:30pm and the weekend is almost over. It went so fast, but it was great to spend time with Carrie and her family!

What Next?!?!?!

As some of you may know, we have been having a little problem with Sheely! I got home from work last night around 10pm only to find out that our cable was barely working! Ryan didn't have much to say to me other than the fact that there were only a few channels that worked. I asked him what was wrong and he said Sheely ripped the cable cord away from the house and up out of the "frozen" ground and chewed most of the way through it. Now, seriously! I'm frustrated at this point, more pissed because I will be paying for all the damages done to this house and I have no control over it. I realize she is "just a puppy" and that these things will happen. But, I didn't realize damages such as ripping the cable cord out of the ground, chewing off a corner of the house, tearing out the plastic underlayment on the landscaping, chewing up the siding on one side of the house, digging holes "everywhere" in the yard, ripping part of the back door of the garage off, and tearing out patio screens were a part of "just being a puppy!" She has a fenced-in back yard to run and play in with a dog house & chew toys. When we are home, she spends a lot of her time in the house with us. I don't know what more we can do with her!!! She is so well-mannered when she is around us, its hard to believe she has this crazy side of her. I realize dogs are not perfect... As much as I hate doing this, she may start spending her days cooped up in a kennel instead of "roaming" free in a big back yard. I don't think I have a choice.

For those of you with labs/dogs, please tell me this chewing crap is gonna go away! Ryan doesn't seem to think it will ever stop and I'm on the defense saying it will after she gets through her "puppy stage".

Ryan...

I am starting to realize that my blog is a bit boring. I haven't taken any updated pictures lately, so I don't have any to share. But, now that I am "bloggin", I need to get on that. I was just showing Ryan my blog and tried explaining to him how it works. He just shakes his head as he doesn't spend any time on the computer other than check his email, which is maybe once a month. But, he thinks its pretty cool stuff.

Speaking of Ryan ~ well, we started dating in August 2005 and are still going strong. I am very thankful for everything that has happened between him and I. He is truly an angel who entered into my life when I didn't realize he was there long before we started dating. It is funny to look back before we started dating and how he acted towards me. I was slowly starting to date at the beginning of 2005 and I would talk to him about it. He always thought I could find someone better and that I should just break up with the guy. I couldn't understand why he was acting this way because at that time, I knew there was no way him and I would ever be together. Well, I was wrong. Come to find out, he had liked me for quite some time before we actually started dating. Cute story! He is the most laid back person. I don't know that we have ever had an outright "fight" since we started dating. We just have fun together and go with the flow! He is a busy-body and always has to be doing something.

Ryan works for a private contractor here in Sioux Falls. They build anywhere between $250k - $1+ million homes. Beautiful homes! I get excited when they are close to finishing the project because he takes me through them so I can see the paint colors, cabinets, wood work, etc. I love looking at all that stuff - great ideas for the future. We spend alot of time together golfing, riding bike, walking, playing Texas Hold'em, doing yard work and playing with our chocolate lab, Sheely. Sheely has been a great joy to our life; although, I don't think she is going to grow anymore. She looks like she is 6 mo old. She's little. So, we are convinced that she is a mix with a smaller dog. She has never had an accident in the house, but loves chewing off the corner of the house! Wow. She has done some damage and we will need to reside part of the house. I need to get a picture of her on here. She is a very smart dog and very well-mannered; just hates it when we leave her at home during the day. She follows me around the house always making sure she can see me. Its cute...and I think Ryan gets jealous sometimes! haha.

Long day (sigh)

I apologize for not responding today, but left early this morning for a closing in Rapid City and we just got home. Craig & I went out there to close on a loan as well as meet with some clients we are working with. Long day on the road, I tell ya! Next time we go, I will be spending the night with my brother because nine hours on the road in one day is too much for this "almost 30 yr old girl" (thought I'd throw that in there for those of us who have been talkin about our age lately). Gosh, I love it! As long as I keep the wrinkles away, I am happy!

Anyway, I thought I'd update this while I let my car warm up. Geez, it was 30 degrees in Rapid City today...felt like spring compared to this -2 degree crap we have in Sioux Falls. I really didn't want to come home.

Gettin' Started...

I am currently sitting in Investments class right now trying to figure this blog thing out. I was emailing back and forth with Amber at work today and we started talking about this. I've never taken the time to look at blogs or even consider doing one myself. I asked her how she ever finds time to "blog" between work, a husband and children at home. I don't have any of that and am having a tough time trying to figure out when I will ever do this. Ha. I've taken the first step in getting this thing set up...and find it kinda FUN. So, I might need a nudge once awhile to remind me to keep this up. I better get back to listening to my teacher..I just got in trouble...oopsie! :)

I will write more later about what is going on in my life and an update on Ryan & I.