We wish you a Merry Christmas

Boy were we ready for Christmas this year!!!

The tree was trimmed

The Stockings were hung

The presents were given

The 4 wheelers were ridden


Wait! 4 Wheelers at Christmas. You betcha! That's how we celebrate out here in the sticks!

a little spot of color

Yes people, my family actually takes the time to think and plan this kind of thing!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas!

I hope each and every one of you has a very Merry Christmas!!!!!

Today I am Thankful for ...

Our new house! I love having a place of our own! After renting for 7 years, I realize how much it means to make payments towards the purchase of something. Of course, with home ownership comes all of the downsides as well. We have had to do some remodeling, and still have more to do. However, we love it! We are so proud of our house that I am hosting Thanksgiving for the first time ever! Our old rental was just to small. Put 2 more people in it and it was overcrowded. We have space to work with here. In this economic situation, Travis and I both feel blessed to be home owners!

Thankful for...

I know I have missed a day or two, but today I am thankful for my in laws! We had Thanksgiving yesterday with Travis' mom's family and it was great! It has been a rocky year within the family, but I am really hoping that the past is in the past and we will only move forward!

Thankful for...

Today I am Thankful for my job. It may stress me out and give me migraines, but I am working. There are way to many people (my dad included) that have been out of work for too long! While I would love to find an Early Childhood Center closer to home, I am grateful to be recieving a paycheck!

Thankful for family

Today I am thankful for my family. My dad has been my rock throughout my entire life. My sister is amazing and brings alot of interesting things to the table.
Along the way, I have learned that families come in many different forms. I am lucky enough to be a part of some amazing families. My favorite Aunt and Uncle are really not related to me at all, but I love Bud and Steph more than anything!! Their kids (Brandon, Conor, and Josh) are great. I have been so proud of Brandon this year! My Aunt Marsha and Uncle Rick are actually my Godparents but they, along with my cousins, Chris and Jessica, have meant so much to me.
Then there is the Hessel, Sutphin, Smith, Ballard, Wunderlich, Cook family. I am so upset that I did not get a group shot of us to show you how that group has grown but it now consists of Danny & Karen Hessel, Grandma Lucille, Ben, Bridget, Benny, Jake, Danny, & Tucker Sutphin (with Charlie on the way), Gary& Tiffany Smith and Stevie and Jenna, Rachel & Mike Ballard with Andrew, George, and Carli Grace, Will Cook, and Me and Travis. I have known the Hessel family for my entire life! I love these people as my own family!
I have many more people in my family but it is hard to mention them all.

So here's to families, both large and small, related or not! Keep them close and cherish every moment!

Thankful

I am thankful for my amazing friends. I love my girls! They have all been there for me through thick and thin and I appreciate it so much!!!! I have known my BF Bridget for my entire life. Leslie and I met when I was 11 and boy have we been through some times! I met Jayme and Stephanie in middle school and spent the best four years with them in High School, and of course, my sister. We may not always get along but I love her!

What I am Thankful for!

I am taking a page out of Erin's book and telling you all what I am Thankful for this Thanksgiving. There are 10 days to fulfill.

Today might be obvious but I am Thankful for my Husband. Travis came into my life when I was at my lowest. I had put up with a boy (because he was definitely not a man) for 6 years that did not respect me. Travis became a light in my life. He showed me what I deserved and treated me how I should have been treated all along. I am forever grateful to him and love him more as each day passes. We have been married for 23 perfect days and I have loved every minute of it.

How I spent my Sunday...

So, I have been promising the Sutphin Boys that I would take them to go see the Dinosaurs at the Science Center forever. The day after Halloween there were no games or birthday parties or obligations so we headed out. It was the first time I had taken all 4 of them to the Science Center and we had a blast. BTW, Tucker is the first one of my nephews to NOT cry when he saw the big dinosaurs. The three big ones all have, although Benny will tell you that he would never cry at them because they are just robots. Jake will tell you that they are always staring at him. Here are a few shots that I got before my battery died.

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Wunderlich

Travis and I had the most amazing day and want to thank everyone for sharing it with us. Here are a few of our favorite pictures.

The Big Day!

Now that I have a life again, hopefully I will have more time to blog! Our wedding day was AMAZING! We had gorgeous weather, beautiful colors, no major mishaps, and a great time. I will post pics after I pick out my favorites, (I am actually taking a break from looking at them right now!) Hopefully, everyone will get theirs to me asap, so I can see them. It is a relief that the day has come, but for some reason, I also feel a little sad. We have been working for this day for so long that now I am not sure what to do with all of this spare time, (I'm sure I will think of something!) I just want to thank everyone who made this day so special! My BF's Bridget, Jayme, Leslie, and Stephanie, you were so amazing. Bridget, the chocolates were insanely yummy! Kim (my sister) did a great job and looked so beautiful! Thank you Leslie, for introducing us at that Kenny Chesney concert so many years ago! More to come soon...

Finally joining the 21st century here in West Alton!

Whoooohoooooo! We finally have internet up at our house! 3 months later but hey! I will start posting more often now!

shredded bodies

I start day one of the 30 day shred last night in my quest to look decent on my wedding day. Right now I am not so sure if Bridget and Rachel are my friends or if they are trying to torture me. I will say that I like it better than going to the gym where it smells funny and people are sweating and grunting all over the place. Of course it didn't help that Travis started laughing at my attempts to do push ups! Oh well! One day down, and 29 more to go! I will keep track of my progress. Maybe bragging rights will motivate me!!!

This time I know I will win!

My friend Rachel is having another giveaway, http://his-mine-ours-gj3smom.blogspot.com/2009/06/pillowcase-princess.html . She finds the cutest baby clothes and then has a raffle for them! This time it is Pillowcase Dresses and I swear they are the cutest thing ever made. If I wasn't already baby crazy then these sure would set me off! Chech out Hot Tots boutique to see the styles. They are so versatile too... as Rachel explains in her post!

Pick me Rachel! Pick me!

Pictures as promised---see previous post for details

Another member to the family

We got a new dog last night! Travis found her on craigslist of all places. She is a 2 yr. old beagle/lab mix named Montana. So far she seems really sweet. Lots of sniffing of butts took place last night between her and Jackson! Pics posted soon

What a day

So, I had to spend the day at the Dr.'s office yesterday. Don't worry, it wasn't for me. Travis dropped a steel plate on his hand at work yesterday and broke his hand. His right hand... and yes, he is right handed. We went to see an orthopedic surgeon and he is scheduled to have a metal plate and 2 pins put in on Thursday. Let's just say it was a long day!!!!!

Sleeping in our new house!

Hopefully that will be what happens tonight. Of course, the rain looks like it has other plans! The entire house is painted except the 2nd bedroom and the half bath. It looks great. Of course our to do list keeps growing and growing but we are taking it one step at a time! And I had my first taste of WA living because the power was out one night over the weekend... due to a raccoon!

I will post before and after pics as soon as I can!

What is life without a little more drama!

So the closing on the new house was pushed back to next thursday. FHA threw up some red flags on things that need to be fixed before they will approve the loan. Of course the sellers are not going to do any of it, so we are now fixing, painting, and replacing siding on a house we do not officially own! WTH! There are also some minor things inside the house, like missing light switch covers, that need to be replaced. I swear I cannot wait for the day when the goverment realizes that teachers are really worth $100,000+ a year and we can just buy a big, brand new, built just for us, house that has no problems. Hey, a girl can dream can't she!

These stupid sellers!!!

I am going to kill someone! No wait, Maybe I am just going insane!!! The sellers of the house we are supposed to close on (May 22nd) have tried backing out of our contract again! This time they *just* found out that they owe $5,000 more than they thought on their loan so they have asked us to either let them out of the contract or pay them $5000 more than we agreed on. Mind you that they have already accepted our offer and papers are signed. Legally they cannot do this so, our fear is that they will do one of 2 things.

1.) Fail to get the gas lines and furnace inspected, therefore causing us to lose our FHA loan (Breach of Contract on their part)

2.) Fail to show up to closing. ( Breach of Contract)

Either way is breaching the contract so we can slap a lawsuit on them. Travis has already contacted a lawyer who advised us to continue on like normal and show up to closing where he will probably be there. If these assholes do either of the above then we will start the lawsuit proceedings that day. I am just worried about a lien being put on the house and we will still not be able to get it.

Now, some of you may be wondering why all the hassle for the house. For one thing, it is principle. Most people would find out what they owe on a house before accepting an offer. The major problem is that there are a grand total of 4 houses for sale in Orchard Farm school district (where we want to live) in our price range. The house we have a contract on, another that needs all new pipe work-appliances-walls-ect, another that termites have eaten completely through the foundation, and another that has had all of the copper ripped out. There are a couple of houses a little higher than what we want to spend right now but they are either not worth it or in Portage (which is not our favorite area of the school district)! So you see our dilemma!!!!

Wish us luck!

I finally did it!I

I finally did my first coupon power shopping trip!
Here is what I got:

4 aquafresh toothpaste, 2 20 count tampax, 1 Pantene Shampoo, 1 Pantene conditioner, 3 Pedigree Dentastix, 1 Dawn dish soap, 1 Busy Bone, 3 Beggin' Strips, 3 All small and Mighty, 1 Glade Air Freshner , 1 two pack glade scented oil refill, 1 pledge multi floor cleaner,and 1 Comet Powder cleaner. Oh, and a Listerine and Mayo for Karen.



Total before taxes: $ 85.79



Total paid on my Visa: $31.25



Total savings: $54.54



Not as impressive as say... some of Rachel's, but I was impressed with myself. The toothpaste was free and each came with a free trial size! Score!



Thanks Bridget and Karen for the help and Rachel for getting us all started!!!

I am going to win the raffle!!!!

Rachel is running a raffle on her blog involving Simply J Crochet http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6165880. This stuff makes me wish I had a baby:-( It is so darn cute! luckily I know enough babies that need a cute newsboy cap and some booties. You should check this stuff out!!!! It is adorable!!! Here is the link to Rachel's blog where you can check out the cute model showing of the goods. Carli Grace is the poster child for cuteness!
http://his-mine-ours-gj3smom.blogspot.com/2009/04/rockin-raffle.html


I want a newsboy cap for myself because I think they are so cute!!!

We are buying a house!!!

Travis has a contract on a house! Our closing date is May 22nd! Cross your fingers that the inspection goes ok! The house is in West Alton (his hometown) on St. Louis St. It is a great starter home for us. I am so excited!!!!!!!! Now I get to start picking out paint!



NOUR NEW HOME!!!

The Frazee Family

Please keep the Frazee family in your thoughts. Duane passed away today after trying to recover from his fall. You can read about his struggle at www.caringbridge.org/visit/duanefrazee.

Duane was a great man who I only knew superficially. I wish I knew him better than I did. He had a great sense of humor and a kind word for everyone.

with Love,
Kathy

Please vote for my friend, Gessica Handegan, at WIBI.org. She is in the top 3 of the "Opening Act" singing competition. She has a beautiful singing voice and is a beautiful person both outside and in. Gessica has been through so much in the last few months. She is a member of the First Baptist Church of Maryville where the minister was shot and killed. This was the man that married her and her husband. All of your votes would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Wedding

I realized I haven't blogged in a while, and then realized I really don't have anything to blog about. So I thought I would talk about the wedding. Planning has so not been fun! Things are coming along but I just am not motivated enough to really get into it. I have the dress ordered, bridesmaids dresses ordered, the hall booked, the church booked, and the DJ hired. I think we have picked centerpieces and just need to order them. I just really don't want to do it anymore. That is not to say that I am not super excited about getting married. This wedding has caused a lot of drama in my life and I just don't need any more drama. Trav still isn't sure if he wants his brother to be in the wedding, so we are a groomsman short at this point. We don't know if Randy and Jessica are going to let their girls be flowergirls, and I am not sure if I want to deal with Jessica on that one. (If you haven't heard that story, you should!) 6 months to go and I would really love it if the wedding party, at least, was finalized. Travis still needs to take his marriage classes (which I don't have to go to because I am not catholic, but probably will to be supportive!) There still seems to be so much to do. On a brighter note, my bridesmaids are great! Jayme and I talked wedding shower the other day and came up with a great idea. I have some fun suggestions from Jake to celebrate his birthday because I messed up and planned my wedding on his 7th birthday. *think pinata* Hurry up October 24!

Happy Birthday Danny

The Sutphin boys are growing up so fast! Today was Danny (my godson)'s 5th birthday party What a great day. Travis and I went to his soccer game where we saw him score 2 goals! (I am such a soccer mom without kids!) I love watching the boys play soccer. Then we went to his birthday party! What fun. He had a star wars theme and Bridget and Ben made an awesome R2D2 cake. There was a pinata (that was no much for last years pirate ship) and lots of conversation. There were plenty of babies to pass around and Bridget actually shared them! haha! I still cannot believe how quickly the boys are growing. They should not be getting this old!

Learn a Little, Link a lot

I thought it would be fun to post Learn A Little, Link A Lot!What is this, you ask?This is a post to allow all of us bloggers to get to know each other a little better.
Here is what you do:
1. Post 10 things about yourself.
2. Post 5 blogs that you really enjoy to go to.
3. Post 1 thing that you received for FREE lately that you are really excited about!
4. Come back here and post on Mr. Linky so we can all learn a little bit about you.

If you don't have a blog, please post a comment here with your things.I would love to know a little more about all you wonderful people!(Please don't post things that will make you a target for spam or otherwise not nice people.)
10 things about myself:
1.) I almost always have to have the TV on. Usually I don't even watch it, I just need the background noise.
2.) I am really scared about starting this new career path as a teacher, (especially Early Childhood)! I know that I am never going to make a lot of money, but I love my kiddos!
3.) I love watching medical stories on TLC. For example, I am watching "Joined for Life; Abby and Brittany turn 16" However I start to get scared that I may have a child with one of the rare disabilities/diseases on these shows.
4.) I am very excited to start a family. If I hadn't already bought a dress and other wedding stuff, we would probably just start now!
5.) I really enjoy taking classes but hate doing the work and taking tests!!!
6.) I am so grateful that Travis and I found each other. Despite all of the initial obstacles, he understands me and is so supportive of me. I really love spending almost all of my time with him!
7.) I love to read! I will read just about anything!
8.) I really do hate drama. I wish everyone would just focus on themselves. Drama stresses me out!
9.) I like to be the peace keeper and this has bitten me in the ass. I forgive and forget to keep everyone happy. Well, I am slowly learning that it is not my job to keep the peace all of the time, and I don't have to apologize for things I really didn't do
10.) I really, really, really, want to buy a house. However, there are like 4 houses total in our price range in the area we ( and by we, I really mean Travis) want to live.

5 blogs I follow

I only follow 2 blogs
My Life - Erin
His, mine, and ours - Rachel

What I have received free lately;
The man at Subway gave me a free, fresh, warm chocolate chip cookie! Yummy

Happily Engaged!

So for anyone who has heard the whole story, Travis and I are "officially engaged!" He gave me my engagement ring on Friday and it is beautiful!!! I absolutely LOVE it! He did a perfect job. For those who do not know the whole story, when he proposed in June, we just didn't have the extra $ for a ring It really wasn't a big deal to me. Of course I am excited to have this beautiful ring but it was not the important thing! Enough rambling, here are a couple of pictures.

The First Zoo Trip of 2009

How excited was I when Bridget and Ben invited me to tag along to the zoo last sunday with them and their boys, the Ballard's and the Carr's (whom I had never met and they have 2 beautiful kids!) Not only do I LOVE the zoo, but I had not had a chance to meet Carli Grace yet! She is such a doll! (Rachel, you sure do make some cute kids!) I love spending time with the Sutphin boys. They are so darn adorable! Danny was worried that my head would be cold because I didn't have a hat so he gave me his! I think I rocked the Spongebob look! The weather was a little chilly but we all had a great time. I let Rachel's son George use my camera and he loved it (and took some pretty good pictures) so I think that was the most time he had ever spent with me. It was a large group of babies and bottles, strollers, minivans, Suvs, laughter and love. What a great way to spend the day!