January DIY

scrapbook!

i have finally started working on a wedding scrapbook. its still a work in progress. i've got all the pictures in place, i just need to spice up the pages!

and of course cleo helped the whole time, she goes where mommy goes.

i have absolutely enjoyed doing this little project. this was the perfect day for us to always remember. just looking through all the pictures gave me goosebumps. thank you to everyone who was a part of our wedding and to everyone who has been a part of our lives as a married couple. we are beyond blessed!

snowed in.

early sunday morning the snow began to fall...

it's now tuesday and i'm on my third snow day.  it's been called a winter storm, snowpocalypse, and the polar vortex.  we received about 11 inches, on top of the snow we already had, and temperatures have gotten down to -20 degrees with a wind chill of -50 or so.

i enjoyed the first snow day. the second was kind of funny. but today, i need out! i have serious cabin fever. i've watched a ridiculous amount of tv, cooked a couple meals, baked some cookies, and cleaned the house... a few times. wes and i went out sunday evening for a walk in the snow blizzard... it was still coming down at this point and the temperature was in the 20s. monday we hibernated, there was nooo way i was leaving the apartment in negative degree weather with a foot of snow on the ground. and today we went out for maybe 10 minutes; we took out the trash, started our cars, and snapped a few pictures. it was 2 degrees outside! yucckk. don't get me wrong, i've loved the time spent with wes. how often do you get stuck at home for 3 days in a row.

however, this weather is crap. i hate snow. and ice. and these cold temperatures. and this stupid winter storm knocked over my favorite lion king tree outside of our apartment complex building!

take me someplace warm.

goals.

for 2014:
- get vet tech license
- workout
- take more trips
- write at least one blog a month
- make a new friend
- learn to crochet or knit
- one DIY project a month
- try new food
- convince Wes to get a kitty
- read 5 books
- save for a big trip

wrapping up a whole year.

What happened in 2013??
Since I've been sooo BAD at blogging, here's my entire year summed up for you.

2013 was truly a great year.  And I couldn't possibly tell you about everything, but here are the highlights.....

Last February, Wes spent two weeks in India.  what?  I know that feels like it was so long ago.  It was a great experience for him, but he doesn't plan on going back.  Too busy and too dirty.  We spent Valentine's Day apart, but he still managed to surprise me with a box of chocolates, which he led me to through one of our skype dates.  He's the sweetest!

At the end of February, I attended my last college class and took my last college exam ever!!  Thank goodness.  In March, I started my externship with school.  I worked at Windermere Animal Hospital for two months.  I really enjoyed my time spent there and value the experience I received.  The staff was patient with me as I figured out the job and helped expand my knowledge of animal care.  I became more comfortable with all aspects of veterinary medicine and made some friends in the process.  At the end of my externship, I graduated with an Associate's degree in Veterinary Technology!

May was a month of weddings!  Congratulations to Jonathan and Monica Haag, Jeremy and Rachel Eaton, and Keegan and Emily Dunn.  I am so happy for all three of these couples and cannot wait to see how God blesses their lives together.

 

Wes and I celebrated our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY on May 26th.  We spent the weekend in Brown County, just like the year before.  Our goal is to go back every year, until life gets too complicated, but maybe even then.

The first weekend in June, we had a wonderful visit from the newlyweds, Rachel and Jeremy!  They came to Indianapolis and stayed at our apartment.  We went to the IMA, ate delicious food, and talked and talked.  But the best part was just being together.  I so wish we lived closer!

My dear friend Leanne got married in June and I had the honor of being a bridesmaid.  We met during school and have become great friends!  Wes turned 27 on June 26th.  I surprised him with a car full of balloons and a book on the drivers seat.  We went out with friends for dinner and it was a special day.  That following weekend we went to Cincinnati.  Had dinner downtown at the Moerlein Lager House, got Graeter's ice cream, and spent time with my family.  It was a much needed weekend, I don't see them nearly as much as I'd like.

In July, I was officially promoted to a manager at Three Dog Bakery.  I absolutely love this job and the owners are the best.  We celebrated my 23rd birthday on July 3rd.  I spent as much time at the pool as possible, enjoying the sunshine.  Summer is truly my favorite time of the year.   Near the end of July, Wes and I had what we called a "stay-cation".  With no vacations planned together, we made it a mini vacation within Indianapolis.  We went to Connor Prairie, the Indianapolis Zoo, shopped downtown Noblesville, and ate out a lot.

 

In August, I went to Hilton Head Island for a week with my grandparents, aunt, and cousins.  Wes wasn't able to go because he took a job teaching World Geography at the University of Indianapolis.  I learned that vacations without him are not as enjoyable.  Even though it was only a week, I missed him a lot.  Regardless, I did love my week on the beach!  I love the beach and the sun.  I spent most of that week with Abby; we laid out, rode bikes, watched movies, played putt putt, a little shopping, the usual. It was a different trip than normal for many reasons.  My uncle passed away in 2012, so he was not there, Wes was not there, and my grandparents and aunt spent a lot of their time dealing with a house they were buying.  It was emotional.  However, the vacation was still a lot of fun and I got to really bond with Abby.

In September, I went to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point, Indiana with Alexis.  It was an awesome adventure.  The rescue has 230 big cats, 5 cubs, 9 different species, all on 108 acres of land.  Their mission is to provide a permanent home to exotic felines that have been abused, abandoned, or have no one where to live, and educate people about them.  A rescue volunteer led us around the grounds telling us their names and their stories about how they came to find the EFRC as their new permanent home.  Some of the big cats are very social and will actually interact with you... on the other side of a huge fence of course.  It was a really neat experience!

The first weekend in October, Wes and I went down to Louisville, Kentucky to spend another weekend with Rachel and Jeremy!  They made it their goal to show us all of Louisville and convince us to move there.  We went to Louisville Stoneware and painted plates, walked around the St. James Art Festival, ate out at several "trendy" places, walked the people bridge, and went to South East on Sunday.  It was a weekend packed full of experiences!  We had the BEST time hanging out with them.  Rachel and Jeremy are truly amazing friends and we are blessed by their friendship.  We actually talked about moving after that weekend, obviously it didn't happen... yet

I passed the National Veterinary Technician Exam in November! And I'm working on getting my license and becoming a Registered Veterinary Technician, just need to get a background check and take the state exam.  Everyone wants to know my next steps as far as a tech job.  As much as I enjoy both the bakery and working in a clinic, I'm not sure where I want to be.  I am trusting that the Lord will guide me with this decision and put me in a place where I will be happy and can bless others.  

Wes is currently transitioning out of Sagamore Institute and is on the hunt for a new job.  We are excited and anxious to see what God has planned for him.  He has had interviews, some of which he was definitely overqualified for and others that just didn't fit him.  Recently, there has been two opportunities with great potential... we will see.

This December, Wes and I decided to come up with some Christmas traditions and spend more time together during the holidays.  We put the tree up and decorated the apartment together, watched Christmas movies, made a gingerbread house, went Christmas shopping, had a baking party, and sent out our first Christmas card.  On Christmas Eve, we went to Wes' parents house to open gifts and celebrate.  Bonnie, David, Wes and I spent the night and had breakfast on Christmas day.  We went back to our apartment opened presents from each other, gave Cleo her green fish, and spent the day relaxing at home.  That night, we drove around looking at Christmas lights.  For me it didn't feel much like Christmas without running from house to house seeing my whole family, but it was much calmer.  The weekend after Christmas, we went to Cincinnati to see my family and exchanged gifts late.  My cousins and I played old games from our childhood... Aggravation, Loopin' Louie, and Mouse Trap.  It was hilarious!  We were able to reunite with some wonderful lifelong friends over lunch.  It was basically a perfect weekend.  I really really enjoyed seeing everyone!  I always miss them, I just don't realize how much until I'm with them. 

It's New Year's Eve... Wes and I have no plans.  Tonight we will probably be that old, married couple that sits at home in our pajamas watching Netflix.  Oh, sounds like a normal evening for us!

Happy New Year!

coffee mugs.

Hi friends!  It has been a LONG time... but I'm back!

And now for my first post of 2013.

Many of you know that Wes is in India.  He left February 7th and will be home February 23rd.  such a long time! :(  Just trying to keep myself busy.  I've been extremely blessed to have so many people sending me encouraging texts and emails while he is away.  For the past 6 days I've been occupying my time with work, school, cleaning, friends, and pinterest!  And today I decided to do my first DIY pinterest project.

Something simple.  I wanted to personalize coffee mugs for Wes' Valentine's day present.

Materials: white mugs and a sharpie.  Write the message on the mug.  Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.  Let cool before using.  Hand wash only.

Love how they turned out!  I showed Wes his present on our skype date tonight.  He loves them too!  Excited for him to come home and use them :)

Pinterest project success!

there's a mouse in the house!

i guess thats what you get when living in an apartment.

a couple of nights ago, my mom found droppings under the kitchen sink. we cleaned them up and by the next morning there were more. we called maintenance, they came and put down sticky mouse traps under the sink. today, mom and i went through everything under the sink and cleaned it out. after not finding the mouse we taped up the holes to the walls under all the sinks in my apartment.

I DO NOT LIKE THIS.

the fact that i own a cat is somewhat comforting. if that mouse makes it out of the cabinet under the sink Cleo will be on it. however, having just finished my parasitology class at school you could say that i am slightly neurotic about parasites... which rodents can carry. so if in fact that rodent has parasites and Cleo kills it, she will get parasites. which would not be ideal. so if that mouse would pick a different apartment or live outside where it belongs that would be best for everyone!

my tuesday dilemma

every tuesday i have the same dilemma. the choice whether to nap or not to nap.

here is the situation.

tuesday mornings i wake up at 5am to be at school at 6am for kennel - we clean the cages and let the animals out. it takes about an hour and a half. then i have classes until noon. i usually don't have homework because i have tests on mondays so we have just started new material. but i am always so tired when i get home from school. i eat lunch and it just feels like taking a nap is the right thing to do.

and every tuesday i work at 3:30pm. in the past when i have napped before work, i sleep too long so i'm groggy and grumpy when i wake up. then i go to work for 6 hours and i'm home a little before 10pm. do whatever and end up going to bed at 11-11:30pm. sometimes i can't fall asleep because i took a stupidly long nap.

do you see the dilemma?

it is a problem.

today this is probably what will happen.

i won't go out because its cold and i'll end up spending money. there is nothing on tv, but i'll watch it anyways get bored and the next thing i know i'll be asleep.

so i guess you could say this blog helped me to shorten the unavoidable nap that i will be taking.

:)

todays Christmas

what happened to Christmas?

its all about the shoppers, shopping and gifts.

is anyone else concerned with the craziness of people getting into fights, the rudeness and desperation to buy gifts?

it's almost not even enjoyable anymore. Christmas is getting worse each year and further from what it's really about. Let's start over and celebrate the birth of Christ, spend more time with family and less ripping wrapping paper open.

at work the other night i heard the worst Christmas song of my life. it was a version of 12 days of Christmas except its called

12 Pains of Christmas

1. finding a Christmas tree

2. Rigging up the lights

3. Hangovers

4. Sending Christmas cards

5. Five months of bills

6. Facing my in-laws

7. The Salvation Army

8. whining and charities

9. Finding parking spaces

10. Batteries not included

11. Stale TV specials

12. Singing Christmas carols

Pathetic. complaining about Christmas, is this what its about? unfortunately some people think so.

i enjoy getting Christmas cards! my future in-laws are awesome! and i like Christmas songs! but all the shopping and things that go with it, no thank you.

just remember to be thankful for the reason we celebrate Christmas. and for the gifts you do receive.

first midterm.

school update.

on friday i will have finished my fourth week of classes which means MIDTERMS. woo! classes are going very well and i have learned so much already. i took my math midterm today. is it sad that i'm upset i have a 96%? i feel like its not quite good enough hah. in my animal tech class we've learned how to do dog and cat restraints in terms of holding them safely for procedures in a vet office or hospital. we went over TPR; temperature, pulse rate and respiratory rate. the best part about this class is that we have a kennel at my school and get hands on experience with the dogs after we learn stuff.. today my group and i worked with a dog nam

ed chowder. he's a seven year old golden/lab mix and is the sweetest thing ever. we used our stethoscope to find all these fun things today with him. it was kinda awesome. but i need a lot more practice, its hard to find these things on a dog andi haven't even tried it on a cat. but i'm going to practice practice practice on my kitty, cleo. i'm pretty much rocking my classes four weeks in and hope to keep it that way.

everything else update.

on thursday i get to watch the stump boys for a few hours! i can't wait. with school i don't watch them very much. its been a couple months :( i hope they don't look too big, i might freak out! on thursday night natalie and i are going to see the new twilight movie at midnight. this is movie number four part one, breaking dawn. we are excited to continue the tradition! even tho i will be getting no sleep that night. on friday i finish up midterms and will officially be halfway done with my first term of classes. time is moving so fast! i can't decide if the next 18 months are going to go slow or fast. on saturday i move apartments to one closer to school and a little less expensive. i will say i am very glad to not have to deal with the morning traffic, merging from 37 to 69 is a pain. and cleo has really enjoyed the moving process.. like a giant jungle gym all the time. i can't wait to not see boxes everywhere. except i have to move my stuff again in six months so maybe i just shouldn't unpack. hah.

time for homework. and maybe take a break and play some mario cart with wes! he is so good to me, he helps me study, sits with me when i do my homework and helps me take breaks. its better when hes around. i love him.

my life for the next days 18 months.

last monday i had orientation for my new school, new program, and new career path.

i am attending International Business College. they work with the Vet Tech Institute which is where i will be for the next 18 months. it is an accelerated and very time consuming program. so if you thought i was busy before you can forget about seeing me now. i have breaks every season for about a week and holidays of course. but all the instructors have told us what little life we had before is over, at least for the next 18 months.

i'm in school 5 days a week. classes change every 8 weeks, but for the first 8 weeks i have class starting at 7:50 monday through friday. i get out at different times each day. but i have to get up at 5:30AM which if you know me, then you know that i am NOT a morning person and this is a serious adjustment. oh yah and as part of the program we have kennel duty where we take care of the animals at the school. on tuesday mornings i have to be up at 4AM in order to be at kennel on time. -i am going to die- if anyone is awake that early, give me a wake up call!

but to give you kind of an idea about how things go, i started classes on tuesday, had a quiz on friday, will have 3 tests on monday and another one on tuesday. i have homework and readings every night and i'm still working at the dog bakery. so goodbye social life. say a prayer for my sanity and the sleep that i will be missing.

apart from the changes of getting up early and being even busier, i am very excited about this program and my new school. i get to wear scrubs everyday, learn about animals and have hands on experience with small animals, large animals, and exotic animals. sounds good to me!

i'm sure i will have lots to share as the weeks go by, the problem will be finding the time to write about it.