5 Years of Love

5 years ago today I was here:

about to marry the love of my life. I have never been more in love with that man than I am today ...

Where would I be without family?

Me and my parents ... my mom and I were laughing all morning and stupid stuff, and couldn't keep a straight face through most of the pictures.

My mom and my brothers

My dad and my brothers

The fam!

Father-daughter dance

My goofy little brother - the best man

My momma and my little brother

walking down the aisle with daddy

hubby and his mom

my sister from another mister - my bff and maid of honor, Juli

Our first dance

Our first dance as a married couple was to Paul McCartney's "This Never Happened Before"

The cake.

Our wedding cake

Our wedding cake was a cupcake tower. It was amazing. We got 3 flavor combos:

• chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and a chocolate rose
• vanilla cake with whipped cream frosting and a white rose
• red velvet cake with butter cream frosting and a red rose

We also had a top tier made so that we could eat it on our first anniversary. That tier was vanilla with butter cream frosting.

The cupcakes were delicious and a great idea - I highly recommend them! Since we had no "cake" to cut, we cut a cupcake. Y'all - those cupcakes were more frosting than cake! In my first bite, all that could fit into my mouth was frosting!

and no, we did not do any cake smashing.

Sometimes and Always ... Anniversary Edition

Once again, I'm linking up with the LOVELY Meg over at Mackey Madness. I seriously love this girl, and if you don't follow her, you really should. She's amazing.

Sometimes ... I wonder if I got married too young (Ok, honestly I really only wonder this when people say "wow. you got married YOUNG").

Always ... I know that I married the man of my dreams and that I wouldn't have wanted to delay that at all. So even though I was 22 when we got married, he was 30. I think that balances out or something. ;)

All you married women recognize this picture - the point in the picture taking when I was just TIRED of standing and had to sit down!

Sometimes ... I can't believe that we'll be married 5 years on Saturday!

Always ... it feels like yesterday and 20 years ago all at the same time ... I am even more in love with him than on our wedding day, but I can't remember a time in my life without him by my side.

Legit, I was trying NOT to burn down the church. The first take of this, I was concentrating so hard it was hilarious.

Sometimes ... I really wish we had a baby.

Always ... I know that when the time is right for us, it'll happen. and times like this, I'm thankful for all of the alone time we get because I know that won't happen once we've got a little one!


Sometimes ... I have something planned for dinner.

Always ... or usually ... I change my mind about what's on the menu. I can't eat something that I'm not "hungry for", so I usually change my mind and make something else that I want. Like last night. I had buffalo chicken enchiladas on the menu, but when I read the recipe again, it just didn't sound good. So I made buffalo chicken wraps instead. Yummier and healthier!

Now it's your turn ... go link up with Megan!

Newlywed Game Linkup Time!

Thanks for joining Megan and I! Now it's time to share your answers for the Newlywed Game! Post your answers and link up below!

1) What do you think my best quality is?

He said: your caringness (is that even a word?) - you always take care of me when I'm sick and grumpy and pack my lunches and pick up little things for me "just because"

I said: that you always want to take care of me and everything and you want it to be perfect (especially my car and our house)

2) What would be your ideal date with me?

He said: dinner (I'd prefer Smokey Bones, but I know you love Mexican) and mini golf

I said: Mexican (of course), then a movie or maybe golf

3) What was your first impression of me? 

He said: that you were way too hot for me and that you'd never go out with me (which is why you had to ask me out)

I said: I knew I'd love you from the moment I first saw you.

4) What is your favorite memory of us?

He said: I don't have a favorite - I love all our time together. But if I had to choose, I'd say our vacations together

I said: Our wedding day - when I was crying at the altar and you reached over and wiped away my tear.

5) What do you see for us in the future?

He said: I see us together forever. Me getting older and you staying young and hot. Hopefully a couple kids and a LOT of cats.

I said: Happily married (forever), with two kids and lots of cats. :)

Book Club Friday!

This is my first time linking up for Book Club Friday. I love to read, but I'm terrible at writing book reviews. I read so many books and sometimes I can't remember exact details, and I REALLY hate to ruin books for other people. But I can definitely tell you if I liked it, loved it, hated it, or was indifferent towards it.

My favorite way to read right now is eBooks. I used to have a Sony Reader, which was my first eReader. I loved it, but it wasn't my favorite because it didn't have internet capability. For Christmas this year, my husband got me a Nook Simple Touch. IN LOVE WITH IT! He hacked "fixed" it so that I can use it to read Kindle books, library books, and use a web browser. Basically it is now like a Nook Tablet, but black and white.

Anyway, since Christmas, I've been searching for a place to get cheap eBooks because they don't seem to go on sale, and they're sometimes more expensive than paperbacks. I searched high and low for a great place. Enter SmartBookWorms. Y'all, this site is AMAZING. First of all, the books are cheap! Like less than $1 per book. If they don't have the book on their site, you can e-mail the "Book Worm" himself and he will hunt down the book for you. I've done this a few times and it has always been enjoyable to deal with Chris. I've felt like a pain in the butt, but of the 150 books on my Nook, I'd say at least 130-ish are from his site! They also have a loyalty program that pretty much means that for every 2 or 3 books you buy, you get another free!

So if you're like me, and looking for affordable eBooks, head over to Chris's site: SmartBookWorms, and check it out, and tell him I sent you! :)

That time I spilled it all ...

Since the lovely Ashley did this ... thought I'd join in the fun. It's always good to let your friends know more about you, and as my followers, I consider you friends. Because that's how I roll.


I Am... me ... for better or worse.
I Want... a baby or two and a big, happy house.
I Have... an amazing husband.
I Wish... that money wasn't a concern.
I Hate... liars and fake people.
I Hear... that sound that the teacher on Charlie Brown makes when certain coworkers talk. Oops!

I Search... well, right now, I'm searching for a new kitchen sink. I really want a granite sink, but hubby wants stainless steel. We'll see who wins ...
I Wonder... how many peoples lives I've touched ... I can't imagine that it's many.
I Regret.... nothing. Every decision I have made in my past has led me to where I am today.
I Love... my husband.
I Ache... all the freaking time. Damn you back!
I Always... expect the worst but hope for the best. I consider myself realistic.
I Usually... love cooking and make dinner every night ... but from time to time, the LAST thing I want to do is make dinner.
I Am Not... perfect. But then, who amongst us is? I strive to be my best, and that's all I can do.
I Dance... all the time. Often hubby will come home to find me cooking dinner with Pandora's 90's Pop station BLARING and me dancing. True story.
I Sing… badly and all the time. Another true story.
I Never... regret time spent with my husband, friends, or family.
I Rarely... eat meat. I just don't like it much.
I Cry... pretty often. Not gonna lie.
I Am Not Always... cheerful ... which leads me to the next one ...
I'm Confused.... as to why my coworkers call me "sunshine".
I Need... more sleep, less back pain, and an exercise program that doesn't hurt my back.
I Promise.... to continue to be myself on this blog.

Getting in shape ...

Alright y'all ... it is time for me to bite the bullet. See, I've got to post it here on my blog, because y'all will keep me accountable and motivated. So here we go ...

It is time for me to get my booty in shape ... well, not just my booty, but the rest of me too.

So here is my plan:

Diet:
At work, we have a wellness coach, who is super amazing and is here for us to talk to about anything health-related. Together, we came up with this week-by-week plan to improve how I eat. I will NOT be doing any "diets" but changing how I view food and how I eat ... hopefully long term.

• week 1 - Add more water. Drink at least 64 oz of water per day, track fluid intake, and limit caloric beverages.
• week 2 - Switch to whole grains. This will be hard for hubby ... but he doesn't have a choice, because once week 2 starts, I'm not buying white pasta any more.
• week 3 - Make half of each plate fruits or veggies.
• week 4 - Choose lean protein sources (chicken breast, lean ground beef or turkey, fish, beans, and eggs), paying close attention to serving sizes. I always seem to forget that protein servings are only the size of your palm.
• week 5 - Choose low fat dairy. This may be hardest for me, because I love cheese. But I'll just choose low fat varieties and try to use less.
• week 6 - Choose healthier fats (olive oil, canola oil, nuts/seeds, nut butters).

As part of this, I really need to pay close attention to portion sizes. and make myself eat breakfast every morning.

Exercise:
This is the tricky part. I'm going back to my back doctor today since I've been getting tingling down my legs for the past 3 weeks (yes, I know I shouldn't have waited so long, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't going away before I scheduled my appointment - and it took 2 weeks to get in). I'm not sure what result I'm hoping to get, but I'm just hoping that I'll be able to get some relief. The way I see it, with my back condition, I have 2 possibilities:

• a pinched nerve. Give me some good pain meds and maybe a little PT and I'll be good to go.
• my spine is shifting. Because of where my fractures are, there is the possibility that my spine can shift forward into what is called a listhesis. Part of me hopes it isn't this, but then again, part of me hopes it is ... because maybe then the doctors will recommend something other than "strengthening".

Here is my biggest problem with exercise:

Can someone PLEASE tell me where in this vicious cycle I can start??? I have to exercise to lose weight. I have to lose weight to reduce my back pain (per my doctor). but I have to reduce my back pain before I can exercise. Something HAS TO GIVE!

I hope y'all will support me and encourage me ... and hopefully when all is said and done, I'll be healthier, sexier, and happier! :)

Sometimes and Always ...

Sometimes ... I feel like writing 2 posts some days and none other days ...

Always ... I do what I want, it's my blog! :)


Sometimes ... I have every intention of getting up early to come in to work and get stuff done before other people get in.

Always ... (or usually) I can't drag myself out of bed. Like today. Oops.


Sometimes ... I really miss having friends that live close.

Always ... I'm happy to at least have my friends, even if they're so far away. (but can one of y'all come visit me, please? I promise, I'm a good hostess - and a good cook!)


Sometimes ... I really want to do something with my weekends - like this weekend, I want to go golfing.

Always ... I end up just sitting around because after a long, stressful week at work, I don't feel like doing anything.


Sometimes ... I get big ideas for reorganizing things in my house.

Always ... the cost derails me ... why are cute things SO expensive??

Spring Sweets Swap Reveal

I participated in yet another blog swap. Seriously, I love blog swaps. I love shopping for other people. This time, I was paired up with Kate from Diary of a Blonde - super sweet, and I had a great time shopping for her! So check out what she got me ...

Everything was amazing, and I loved getting to know Kate! So head over to her blog and see what I sent her!

Newlywed Game

Hey y'all, my blogger BFF, Megan, and I are hosting a linkup! Come join us!

Here is how it works:

1. Below are the 5 questions.

2. Ask these questions to your significant other.

3. Answer the same questions about your significant other.

4. Come back next Monday (3/26/12) to linkup and share your answers!

Questions 

1) What do you think my best quality is?

2) What would be your ideal date with me?

3) What was your first impression of me? 

4) What is your favorite memory of us?

5) What do you see for us in the future?

Example Posting Format

1)  What do you love most about me?

Hubby said: the fact that you put up with me ... And your cooking  

I said: Your dedication to me, our families, friends, and your career.

2) When did you know I was "the one"?

Hubby said: I knew you were the one because I didn't have to chase you or change for you.  You liked me for who I was to start with (for better or worse).

I said: When I couldn't imagine the rest of my life with anyone but you and I failed to notice any other guys.

come back and linkup with us next week!

Nail files 2 - Removing Acrylics

This is now my second time linking up with Vicki and Tara for Nail Files.

I have had acrylic nails for almost 5 years now. I was always a nail biter, and when I started at my current job, there is NO way I could bite my nails and stay healthy (we make lead acid batteries and there is a lot of lead - which is poisonous). But now it is time to get rid of them.

On Monday, I removed the acrylic from 2 of my nails because it had started to lift anyway. Those nails are below:

Gross, right? I never realized how much the acrylic ruins your nails. I don't think I would EVER do it again.

You're probably wondering why I only removed 2 nails. Well, I had to make sure I wasn't going to bite them. I'm proud to say that they are still there, and they're not nearly as weak as I thought they'd be.

So tomorrow I'm headed to the salon to get the rest taken off. I'll try to document my progress every week with Nail Files so y'all can see. I'm trying NailTek Intensive Therapy to try to strengthen my nails, so I'll also be reviewing that ... if it works.

Happy Pi Day!

Happy Pi Day, y'all!

I recently participated in a 3.14 Swap, where I was paired with Kari. She sent me these lovelies:

I have no idea why blogger turned these, but I can't get them to un-turn. Sorry. So anyway, this is what I found when I opened the box!

Some adorbs HK stickers ... because we ALL know how much I love her!

Cute earrings ... can't wait to wear them!

comfy socks and cute pens ... socks have already been worn and the pens are in my purse

a card making kit (who will be the lucky recipients ... we'll see!) and a notepad

this one isn't so photogenic, but she's a HK loofah. LOVE LOVE LOVE!!

and of course, because I don't like chocolate, marshmallows!

Head over to Kari's blog to see what I got her!

sometimes and always ...

linking up with my always amazing and super sweet blogger BFF Megan

Sometimes ... My anger/frustration gets the best of me and I say things that I regret.

Always ... I'm kind to the people I love. It's the people that I don't like that see the above action.


Sometimes ... I feel overwhelmed with all of the linkups and blog swaps and blog challenges.

Always ... I just pick a few that really speak to me. and I tell myself that I can stop any time.


Sometimes ... I wish I had more time to read.

Always ... I have to cook and clean and work, which takes up most of my time.




Sometimes ... I think about removing my acrylic nails.

Always ... I remember that I have a tendency to bite my nails, so I'm starting small. I pulled off 2 yesterday, so we'll see how it goes ...


Sometimes ... I can't think of any good pictures for a blog post.

Always ... there's at least one cute kitty picture to share!

I know it's hard to see ... but Einstein is just too cute for words!

Weekend Recap

My weekends are nothing interesting. No lie, after a full week of work, I don't want to do anything.

Friday night - we went to a minor league hockey game with my parents. My company has amazing season tickets - 3 rows behind the home team's bench. It was quite the exciting game - they were losing until the last minute, when they tied the game. The game ended up going into over time and shoot outs, where they finally won.

Saturday - I ran some errands in the morning - the small mennonite market near my house with my mom, then to the bank, post office, and grocery store - all before 10 AM, and all before my husband woke up. Then we sat around for a while and watched the rest of Season 2 of Downton Abbey (and I am sooo addicted to it ... I can't wait for Season 3 to start!). Then we changed and went out for our date night - we went to a small italian place near the local theater and shared cheesesteak hoagies (with mayo, lettuce, tomato, and onion instead of sauce and onions ... I hate sauce on my cheesesteaks, but for some reason a lot of people put sauce on around here). Then we walked over to the theater to see The Iron Lady. Sold out. So sad. In this tiny little town (population of like 1000), The Iron Lady sold out over The Lorax and John Carter. I was so surprised, and so disappointed. So we went home and watched The King's Speech.

Sunday - The fam came over and I made fish and chips and mushy peas. Then after they left, I went outside and washed my car (good news - she's white again!) and read a little.

Excitement, right?

Nail Files

This is my first time linking up with Vicki and Tara for Nail Files.

On a whim, I decided to pick up a new nail polish at CVS on Monday. Wet n Wild Megalast in Bite the Bullet. I was pleasantly impressed - the brush in this polish is the best I've ever seen and it goes on super smoothly. Best $1.99 nail polish EVER.

So, my nails are Bite the Bullet with Wet n Wild Sparked on my ring fingers. Literally, I paid less than $3 for both polishes together because CVS had them 30% off. The picture below was taken when I painted my nails on Monday ... and they still look the same today.