All I want for Christmas is an Overpriced House.

I have come to the conclusion that my maturity level has not risen since I was eight years-old. That is not including the hormonal growing pains all teenagers (and those around them) have to put up with. There were two things I was focused on that no child that age would typically share. 1)I started being concerned with what kind of parent I would be. Not with my baby dolls, but with my actual children that still exist only in the relatively distant future. I could continue with this, but I want to take this post in a different direction. 2)I was obsessed with decorating. I loved all the interior/exterior home design shows. I hated (still do) clothes shopping but I could spend hours in Pier 1, World Market, and Hobby Lobby. I would clip cool rooms out of my "American Girl" magazine and my mom's "Better Homes and Gardens." That being said, here is my dream house, or the best I could do through Google images.

As every Realtor in every movie ever says, "location, location, location." This is the ideal setting for my house. I have always wanted to live on a lake surrounded by trees and mountains and this is probably the closest thing I have in my mind about what that looks like.

How awesome would it be to have a fireplace in your bathroom? Add a stereo system and an endless supply of hot water and I would be in heaven. The only thing I don't like about this specific bathroom is the modern design of the fireplace.

Okay, I realize that this doesn't really go with the mountain cabin theme I have going, but this is my dream house. http://hookedonhouses.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/bedroom-with-fireplace.jpg Okay, here is a bedroom that actually goes with the theme. Although I am not a fan of all the white, I love the windows and fireplace. https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQx_jdy9OTcaw33PqZaS2TMkHYjvC7ofwVgyEen1vAtp8IuMxJ1cg I would be totally fine with the library being the biggest room in the whole house.

I have always liked the idea of having a retro kitchen; however, I would much rather have a kitchen like this in my mansion of a home. http://craphound.com/images/ZqmCgh.jpg How cool of an entrance would this be to a kid's playroom? I think this is something I could realistically do for them. http://www.schoolworksnyc.com/Photos/Playroom001sm.jpg How cool would it be to have a castle in your playroom??

Of course, you need a stylish way to travel in between the first and second floors.

It would be impossible to get your kid to sleep when there is a swing in their room. http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_liczi3LKPW1qcfl10.jpg This is the perfect living room. The browns make it so homey and the large windows let you enjoy the view.

Of course all of these rooms have to be held by an actual house. You know, Christmas is coming up...

Tacky Lights

I have been thinking that I have been getting a little too sweet on this blog. It’s time for me to make fun of a bunch of people. And since it is that time of year, we are going to look at the failed attempts of making our yards look like it is Christmas. These next to pictures are brought to you by tackychristmaslights.com Oh, also, we have a guest blogger! My hubby has agreed to provide us some of his opinions on these pictures. Which is a treat because he is so much funnier than I am.

(tackychristmasyards.com) Chelsea: Some people are very good communicators. This one, for example, doesn’t want any confusion about his supporting of Christmas. Aaron: Beware! This house may cause epileptic seizures and blindness. Apparently, these people have never heard of moderation.

(Tackychristmasyards.com) Chelsea: This would be a terrifying version of Toy Story. Aaron: This manger scene came prepared for danger. King Herod better watch out, because the wise men apparently brought an army with them.

(wsbtv.com) Chelsea: Say what you will about this yard, I am extremely impressed by how they got the lights on all of those branches. Aaron: Prepare yourselves for the ensuing recording of the Tran-Siberian Orchestra that will surely accompany this intricate light show.

(Diynetwork.com) Chelsea: This is not what I expected whenever people talk about the light at the end of the tunnel. Aaron: “The runway is clear for take-off whenever you’re ready to leave, Santa.” Chelsea: New definition for “lighthouse”. I wonder if boat accidents increase around the holidays. Aaron: Is this a fancy house by the lake, or an even more impressive rocket-powered flying dwelling owned by a festive mad scientist?

My Life is a Hallmark Movie

As promised a couple of weeks ago, I have a big announcement. No, I am not pregnant. And no, we have not found a church that will hire Aaron to be their music minister, yet. Ever since high school, I have been casually searching for my birth family online, mainly my mother and brother but I never came across anything. I talked about that in one of my blog-posts called "Passively Stalking." After I blogged that post, I decided to try searching for my aunts and uncles on my birth mother's side. I had that information because when I was born one of the nurses suspected I had Down-Syndrome; it was just an eye infection. I also knew my mother's last name because of that. I was searching on Facebook because there are nine siblings on my mother's side and chances are that one of them would have an account. I started with one of the brothers and saw that he has several Facebook friends with the same last name. I also noticed he had a mutual friend with me. I joked with Aaron that it would be funny if that mutual friend happened to be a relative. So I kept looking through different family members with the last name of "Wilder," or first names that were on my timeline. They all had the same mutual friend. I ended up on one of the sister's page and saw that her son was the mutual friend. The mutual friend was someone I knew from Hardin-Simmons. At this point,I knew that I had found my birth family. The family is too large for it to be a coincidence. I asked Aaron to message the mutual friend and ask him if he has an aunt named Charlotte (my birth mother). He replied yes and Aaron said to call him. They didn't talk for very long but the "mutual friend" confirmed that I looked a lot like his aunt. Through him, I have been able to talk to some of my "blood" family members. This December,I will even be able to meet a few of them, including my birth brother!

So it has been confirmed I was not picked from a "Cabbage Patch" Farm.

I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T do you know what that means??

Pre- Aaron, I have always been an independent girl/women. Even when I was a little girl I had to do everything by myself or I would get frustrated.

I'm still pretty independent but I now have a hard time opening doors, zipping up clothes, going to sleep, or even watching TV without my husband.

Any type of project (deep cleaning, cooking, or fixing things)are things I like to do on my own.

Pardon that awful sentence structure. Add developing coherent sentences to the list of things I can't do on my own.

Last week I cleaned all the windows (inside and out) and living in West Texas has made that quite the task. Aaron offered to help but I wouldn't let him. Maybe that is something I need to work on- sharing my projects.

The main reason I blogged today is to say that I have an announcement- and this is something I couldn't do without Aaron.

No! I'm not pregnant!!! I had you going, huh? Why is that the first thing people assume when a married woman declares she has an announcement?

Okay, we'll tune in in a couple of weeks- I promise it is a much better read than this lame post.

Passively Stalking

Two blogs in one night... Someone can't go to sleep.

I have been passively searching for my birth mother- mainly googling her name/ other birth relative's names. I found out what my last name is because someone forgot to blot it out in some of the many pieces of papers I have from my adoption. It also has a family tree on there.

I'm pretty sure I found my (now diseased) birth-grandfather. If your really curious, here is the link.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=28314395

There is an official way to find her but that would mean I would really have to go through with it. Maybe someday. For now, I'm a creepy stalker.

Waiting for the Gun Shot

Right now Aaron at I are at a waiting point in our lives. It feels like we are at the start of a race waiting for the gun to go off. We have heard back from the church in Hollis and they want us to come back for a second audition.

We didn't have much luck finding jobs in Arlington so we have put off going to seminary for now. Right now we are staying with my in-laws (which, by the way, is what they did in Biblical times so women could learn the way the family works). I'm being unintentionally biblical.

I feel like I can still be called a minister's wife even though neither of us are currently employed with a church. God called me to be a minister's wife so that is what I am, no matter where we are.

For the most part I am at peace with what is going on. I know that God's timing is divine and we gave up our lives whenever we became Christians and surrendered to the ministry. To be honest, this is my blog after all, I question why I can't serve anywhere right now! It's the same feeling I got whenever I realized God didn't call me to be a full time missionary in a foreign country. I was really disappointed in that.

I guess God is using this time to make my marriage with Aaron really strong. Not a lot of people get the blessing of starting off their marriages with no distractions. We have not spent any time away from each other since we got married.

Maybe he making us strong so He can use us in great ways later on.

This blog is a good therapy session.

How to Trick People Into Thinking You're Smart

It appears that people who are experts in certain fields are never satisfied with whatever new thing comes out. Well for those of you who don't have a vast array of knowledge in anything keep reading. For all of you experts out there, quit reading... I want nothing to do with you.

I guess I have a lot of knowledge in child development since that is what my degree is in; however, no one really wants to hear it. Seriously, experienced teachers or parents are not going to ask a non teacher/ non parent advice in what to do with their kids.

I digress.

To fake having knowledge in any field of your choice, there is a very basic formula. (Choose field+ some new development/ object) negative comment= impressed friends.*

Examples:
Music- Man, today's music doesn't require much thought.

Education- They aren't teaching these kids the way I was taught. Are they learning anything?

Medicine- Man, today's diseases aren't like they used to be.

Life- This world is just getting worse and worse. Kids didn't behave like this back in my day. (This is not for those who are in their twenties and younger)

So there you have it. A simple way to convince friends, relatives, and strangers that you are well rounded and knowledgable in the ways of the world. You can use this at any reunion, family or school, parties, bar mitzvahs, or lines at grocery stores/ banks. If there is a lull in the conversation, or people aren't annoyed with you enough, here is your formula.

*Please keep use of this formula to a minimum. Side effects may lead to few to no friends.

Where The Wind Comes Sweeping Down The Plain

A couple of weekends ago, the hubs and I were in Oklahoma for an audition/ interview for a church job for Aaron. The ministry is a very unique career choice because not a lot of jobs are given based on how they view the spouse. So there was a lot of pressure on both of us, obviously more on Aaron since he was the one auditioning. The church we are looking at is in Hollis, the same one Aaron's dad was a minister at when Aaron was a little boy. The town is the definition of small town, with one stop light and very few restaurants. We looked around a bit before going to the house we were staying at. Aaron managed to find their old house by finding the football field, which is in walking distance. It's the same house we would be staying in, because it's a parsonage; they're renovating it right now. We stayed at Aaron's former elementary music teacher's house, who went to McMurry, but we won't hold that against her. We had a really fun time talking with her and husband,, and that evening we had dinner with the rest of the search committee. They asked us questions and Aaron did amazing. On Sunday, Aaron lead worship at a church in Altus, the town next over. We really enjoyed our time but for now it's just the waiting game while we wait to hear their decision. Before we left we spent the afternoon with Aaron's aunt who lives in Hollis.

We went straight from Oklahoma to the in-laws on a spontaneous trip. We were grateful for the invitation because it's pretty depressing being in Arlington. I cooked for the family all week and Aaron cleaned so we earned our keep.

I'm actually at peace with our situation. It's all in God's hands so I know whatever happens is for the best.

Fort Worth's Whomping Willow

One gift giving event, I gave Aaron a book that had a list of strange places all over Texas. Today we visited the odd places of Fort Worth. We thought about doing Dallas, but you would need at least a couple of weeks to accomplish all of the oddball places Dallas has to offer.

One of the first places we went to was to a bicycle tree. An artist named George Hilton decided that the best place for his collection of bicycles, motorcycles, and tricycles is a hackberry tree.

Across the street is a cemetery, well actually three different cemeteries put together. This wasn't in the book but we decided to check it out since we were there. Apparently, it's called the Westminster Abbey of Fort Worth, I am guessing because there is a chapel, erected in 1912. The Oakwood cemetery was founded in 1879 John Peter Smith, one of Fort Worth's first settlers. He donated 20 acres and it was later enlarged to 100 acres.

Trinity cemetery is the "negro section." There is an Obelisk as a monument to to "Gooseneck Bill" McDonald, a banker and politician. Some of his family is buried there but he is not.

Calvary cemetery is a burial plot for Catholics. From there, you can see the Red River Texas and Southern Railway Bridge built in 1902. It is one of the oldest surviving railroad bridges in Tarrant county.

After that we went to go find a giant jackalope. Basically, people threw a fit because a car dealership was planning on demolishing the statue. To compromise, they put the statue on their roof. There is also a super-sized sno-cone a couple blocks away but we couldn't find it. We are pretty sure the book made up a street name.

Last, we visited American Airlines C.R Smith Museum. It covers the history of commercial airlines, has a theatre filled with first class seats, and a children's section that has hands on weather activities. They had a real plane that was used for WWII, people were much smaller back then.

We finished the day of touristing by going to a high school football game. The side we sat on lost, I hope it wasn't my fault.

P.S. Here are some pictures from today's adventure. I would like to put them with the actual stories, or at least in the order of events but blogging on a phone is too difficult. Just pretend it's a comprehension quiz.

Jumping Je'Chelsea!

After a summer of taking on qualities of a potato of the couch family, one gets cabin fever. Today I handed Aaron my phone with a list of free things to do in Arlington while making myself presentable to society. That did not include scrubbing myself with steal wool and throwing myself in the microwave (potato humor). We ended up at a Science museum focused on river insects and reptiles. Before we got to the building we took a trail trough some woods that lead us there. Growing up in the country has taught me to always be on alert for snakes., especially of the rattling kind. So while Aaron is enjoying the hike and nature, my eyes do not leave the ground. Naturally, I find a snake in the middle of the trail and, of course, I am in the lead. I jump 10 feet high over the snake leaving my heart with it. Aaron keeps saying it was a lizard but argued it was all tail, in between my hyperventilating. When we get to the museum it ends up being 70% snake and 20% insect. I wish I was as brave as when I was 5.

Turning into a Supervillian is Painful

I am slowly turning into Poison Ivy. It's a slow, painful, and ITCHY process. Fortunately I have a husband who is immune and the internets at my fingertips to keep me occupied while I turn into a red head. To occupy my time, I have been doing the following: I have been OBSESSED with cuteoverload.com. I dare you to look through these pictures and not say aww at least one time.

I have also been researching my family history. I got all the way to the 1400s with one side. This is a cartoon version of my family's coat of arms in England: the Bigelows. Apparently a lot of people are related to the Bigelows including, but not limited to, Clara Barton, President Garfield, and President Bush.

And as a fallback, I will continue to use stumbleupon.com. I don't know how people search the web without it!

These distractions are keeping mittens off my hands. Otherwise all I would be thinking about is scratching. I will not think about that itch on my knee. I will not think about that itch on my knee. I will not think about that itch on my knee...

The Joy of Blogging

Oh good, another blog about job hunting. I have a fantasy that if I talk enough about it someone will give me one just to shut me up. I've been applying everywhere. I am getting nothing. I wish I was so good at blogging I could pull an audience that follows me consistently, not just when I say I've posted on Facebook. I could probably make some money that way. I guess I need an official concept or overall theme. I also need to be more consistent. I also need a computer so I don't have so many grammatical errors/ awkward sentences from typing this on my phone. Someday I will be to the blog world what Bob Ross was to teaching art on TV. A girl can only dream..

How About Now?

After non-stop job hunting and non-stop rejection by employers of every kind, Aaron and I needed this Sunday. We have always declared Sundays a "just us" day (besides church). It will be different once he is a full time minister, but we will cross that bridge when we get there. We were going to go to the same church we visited last week; however, we got slightly lost and decided it would be better to visit another church that started at a later time than be late to the first one. God still spoke to us there (it's like He knew where we were going all along). The pastor preached from Psalms 73 and talked about how it doesn't make sense that non-believers seem more successful (based on the world's definition. Although I have accepted the fact that I will never be rich, I would like to feel secure financially. My trust is still in the Lord but my patience is being tested as far as finding jobs. God's timing is so evident in my life and marriage to Aaron, I just need to trust that He will provide the right jobs at the right time.

Short Note to Show I'm Alive

I'm loving married life! Despite some boxes that haven't been unpacked yet, I am fully embracing it! I have cooked everyday with all my new kitchen accessories and created works of art. Ask Aaron if you don't believe me! I must have a little Italian lady living inside of me because almost everything has a little bit of Italian zest. We have feverishly been looking for jobs and I'm trying not to not get discouraged. I was supposed to have an interview with Enterprise for a position but I haven't heard back. I have been leaning on God throughout this whole process but it's starting to wear on me. Prayers/ job offers would be appreciated.

What Did You Call Me?

A boy gave a girl thirteen roses, twelve were real, one was fake, then the boy said to the girl, “I will love you until the last rose dies.” This is a love quote that I have constantly run into over the internet. I read it again last night and it inspired me to look up more stupid love quotes. Before I begin, let me explain why this is a stupid love quote. The boy says he will love the girl until the last rose dies and it is supposed to be sweet because the thirteenth rose is fake and therefore cannot die. But if a rose is not a real rose, then isn’t he saying that he is going to love the girl for about as long as the roses last? Which is about a week. I have gone to lovequotes.com where people can submit their own love quotes. I have compiled a list of what I consider to be the “winners” of the group and divided it into four categories: what did you call me?, in need of a hormone chill pill, whaaaaat?, and needs further analysis. I am keeping the punctuation and spelling the same as I found it in the website. What did you call me? *if nothing lasts for ever, will you be my nothing? *you may not be the best, but u are my choice and i love you so *you’re the craziest girl i’ve ever met. i guess that makes me even crazier for loving you the way i do. In need of a hormone chill pill *Every night I go home crying because I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see you again *I give you my heart, pls don’t hurt it, cos if u do, i will die. Whaaaaaat? *its hard to explain what love is but i fell in love because its hard to explain * “i” feel safe in your arms i can’t live without “u” *sex lead to marriage, if really you know what is sex, you feel what is sex *i wish I could say to you how much you mean to me. But since my mouth is chilling when you talk. i will carve this words in my heart and kept it until you wish to see and read it. In need of further analysis *What is love? Is it the blood that rushes to your cheeks when youre around him? is it the feeling that keeps you up at night because you can’t stop thinking of him? no one knows. Is that it? Are those my only two options? It started out kind of sweet. I was really thinking the author was going somewhere. Then she gave up. That is sad, to give up on love at such a young age. *The world could end and I wouldn’t care because I’m here with you. Where are you going to be with your significant other of the week? Another planet? If so, please share with the rest of us so we have somewhere to flee as the world ends. But apparently you don’t care about the rest of the world’s safety. How did you get a lady with a selfish attitude like that? *If loving you is wrong i have to hide from the cops because i am on death row if they ever tell me to stop. Now wait a minute kid. No one said that the punishment for loving someone is death. What kind of life do you live that the consequences are always death? Now, if you are loving something that could kill you, like drugs, than I guess you could say you are on death row. That is a weird way of saying it. I could see why you would hide from the cops so they don’t bust you with the meth, but they wouldn’t put you on death row. Why don’t you hire a lawyer before you get in your next relationship just so you don’t go in all confused. It’s a good thing we have a God who shows us what love is because there are too many people out there who are confused as to what it is.

Things to do when bored:

Although I have not had the opportunity to be bored in a long time, I often dream about various activities I could do when I become in that melancholy state of mind. Here is a list of things I could do if ever I get that opportunity: 1. Lay face to face with dog and copy eyebrow movement. Although eyebrows are more noticeable on Rotweilers, you can do this with any dog.* This is a perfect chance for you to try to get to understand your canine. He/she continuously begs for you attention and now you are giving it to him. Your complete, undivided attention. Watch how your dog adverts his/her eyes. Suddenly he/she isn’t as extrovert as he/she claims to be. He cannot make eye contact for very long. Maybe you should analyze this. You did take intro to Psychology. This activity is not good for those who have vicious dogs. You may be without a face at the end of this activity.(note the disclaimer). 2. Take old toothbrush and scrub baseboards and crevices of cabinets. I know this seems like the last thing anyone wants to do, unless you are like me, and like being meticulous when it comes to cleaning. When you start to do this activity, suddenly you will start to think of several other things you would rather be doing than scrubbing unrecognizable gunk off the nooks of your kitchen. Woahoahoah, it’s magic, you know!At that point you are at a crossroads. You could keep working and end up with a fabulously clean kitchen (at least the parts no one notices) or you could put your toothbrush down and start the other activities. 3. Borrow mascot head of alma mater The possible activities you could complete with this are endless as your imagination. I have two options to choose from, if I went my alma mater route. I could either be a crusader or a cowboy. No, I did not pick my university because of the alliteration between the two mascots. Things you can do with the heads of your mascots: stand in various public places, take note of people’s reactions; use it for suggestion #5; rig it so it is the first thing someone sees when they walk in the door; and wear it to rivals’ games (when you are not competing against them)**. 4. Feng Shui I did this a lot when I was younger and had a twin bed. Change is good, but don’t move your furniture to ward off evil spirits. Do it so you can jump from furniture to furniture without stepping on the hot lava that is your living room floor. Make the best fort EVER. Compete in the Olympics with your spouse/ roommate(s). 5. Go to various places around time, cheer people for accomplishing mundane tasks I would suggest doing this with a group of people. It could be taken as sarcasm and sometimes that can rub people the wrong way. Hopefully you can count on the people you bring to “get your back”; otherwise, you might need to get new friends, at least friends you can outrun. 6. Chart the number of licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie-Roll pop. This could take all day because you can’t do it with one Tootsie-Roll pop. There are many things to consider when completing this task. You can’t just take five Tootsie-Roll pops at random. You have to pick the number of times you are going to do each color. Right down the number of times, average it out and then compare that with each color you do. Than you have to get other people involved because your saliva could be different than another sugar-scientist. You have to note the temperature of the room, what is playing on T.V., if you are drinking beverages and if not, what kind should you be? I think the owl is wrong. I think the world could and should know. 7. Call Shampoo Company and tell them you are confused about the directions. This isn’t an original thought; I heard it from an Ellen Degeneres stand-up act. Still, I think this can apply to any nonsensical directions or warning labels. 8. Watch infomercials I love infomercials, especially the ones that advertise cleaning products. The best time to watch infomercials are late at night or during the day. Hide your phone because those actors could sell anything. That’s how they got to be on T.V. 9. Organize closet There are many ways you could do this: color, country it was made in, material it was made out of, day of the week you bought it. If you can remember that, you have at some point been cheated off of when taking a test. 10. Call friends over and recreate the following photos: awkwardfamilyphotos.com; peopleofwalmart.com; magazine advertisements 11. Answer questions in yahoo aswers You can be serious and take the time to research and come up with a ridiculously long answer, or you could be sarcastic to the dumb questions. Don’t listen to the teachers who say that there are no dumb questions. 12. Place a mirror under your nose and pretend you are walking on the ceiling. Don’t do this when people are home. Also, I suggest you are confident in the layout of your house or you will end up with bruises. 13. Prepare boxes for various possible emergencies. Bonus points if you do all of them. Yes, all of them, from natural disasters to the Zombie Apocalypse. Although you may live in the center of the USA, you can still plan for a random volcano burst or hurricane. 14. Try to outdo the people in a Guinness Book of World Records You could buy the book, or call and ask what the record is for the number of times someone called to ask about the number of times someone has called to ask about the number of times someone has called. Then call them one plus that many of times. 15. Learn to do impressions on the following characters/people: Homer Simpson, Forest Gump, Bill Cosby, Jerry Seinfeld, Pee Wee Herman, Ace Ventura, Pinky and the Brain (the Brain’s voice formed from a guy impersonating Orson Welles), Austin Powers, Shrek, Borat, and Arnold Schwartzenegger, Donald Trump, and various presidents of the past and future. *Disclaimer: This author does not suggest putting one’s face right next to a Rotweilers. **Disclaimer #2: This author suggests you not do this if you do not like to be tackled/ beat up by a mob.

A Stolen Ring, Fear of Spiders, and a Sinister Stranger

I have decided that I would like to blog more; however, I am going to add some creative writing rather than just talk about my life. I am using to get my ideas. Today's challenge is to combine the following elements to make a short story: a stolen ring, fear of spiders, and a sinister stranger. Riley and Noah Shorne are looking at some dusty toys in an antique store while their grandma is talking with the shopowner about a painting for what seems like an eternity to two kids who had just finished the fourth grade. Suddenly the children hear a scream coming from the second floor of the building. Being more adventurous than her brother, Riley starts climbing up the stairs to take a look at whatever caused this woman to panic. Noah is a little more hesitant but feels a man should protect his sister. The twins run to see a woman pointing and staring in horror at the wall. The two pairs of eyes turn to see it is just a spider. Riley tries to hide her snickering as Noah takes his shoe off to kill it. The blushing woman thanks the children and says she knows it is rather silly to be scared of a spider but she has a fear of them, however irrational it may be. She precedes to tell Riley and Noah about a time she woke up and there was a spider on her forehead! She is talking with so much excitement that she flings her hand and accidently hits a stranger that no one noticed before. The man appears to be sinister in nature as he towers over the three. Noah notices the arachnophobic woman stepping back and he does the same. Riley has goosebumps but she stands her ground until Noah pulls on her elbow. The man opened his mouth to reveal a voice that is so deep that it causes Riley's goosebumps to have goosebumps. He laughs holding a bracelet telling the woman to be careful who she hits because she might lose something that is valuable to her. The woman yanks the bracelet from the man and runs off with the children not too far behind her. The siblings are running so fast they almost run into their grandma. As they are apologizing they overhear the shopowner talking on the phone. "Yes, I am at 412 Main Street. I need to report a burglary. A diamond ring. No, this isn't my wedding ring, I- I own an antique shop and this is a very valuable ring. I really don't want to discuss the price over the phone..." Riley and Noah couldn't hear too much more because their grandma started asking them where they wanted to eat. Riley brushed past her grandma, leaving Noah to apologize for her. She told the shop owner about the sinister stranger upstairs. The shop owner listened carefully and then asked her to describe the man. Then she asked if he had a woman with him. Noah walked up and said they were talking with a woman before the man showed up but they didn't seem to know each other. Suddenly, the inhabitants of the shop turn their heads as they hear a loud crash outside. A policeman that has just pulled up to talk to the shopowner drives over to block a car that is trying to drive off after crashing into the Goodwill across the street. The policeman shouts at the couple in the car to come out with their hands up! The people who come out of the car are none other than the sinister stranger and the arachnophobic woman. A week later, a newspaper with the title "Theifing Couple Caught!" reveals the seemingly strangers have been going to antique stores across Texas. The woman creates diversions while the man does the actual taking. They have an extensive knowledge of valuable antiques- jewelry especially. The woman revealed that the last shop they were at, she meant for the shopowner to come "rescue her from a spider" but got "two brats" instead. The man laughed and said that the shopowner was already distracted with an old lady and a painting and that antique stores are really easy to steal from.

My Crazy is too Loud

Two weeks away from my wedding and I'm on my period. Sorry if that last bit of information scares you away from reading the rest of this post but this one is going to be brutally honest, I'm afraid. Wedding time is an emotional time. For example, as I was taking bridal portraits, anytime someone mentioned the way I looked I started crying. This week, my body has decided to add a little bit of fun in the mix. As a result, every one of my pet peeves is heightened. Here is a fun little story to show that I am not exactly perfect. We were in Kohls buying *cough cough* honeymoon items and there was a man in the section. Normally this wouldn't bother me but remember, everything annoys me at this point. So not only is there a man, he keeps making mouth noises to his baby. I do not hate babies, just mouth noises. So the whole time I am leafing through the racks I hear the rasberry noises over and over again. Remember, I am just extra sensitive at this point. I get my selections to try on in the dressing room and this guy and his family is blocking the way. Instead of being a normal person and excusing my way through there, I make a point to go all the way around. My mom wanted me to grab one more thing and I said loud enough for the sweet family to hear that I couldn't come and grab it because it took me forever to make it to the dressing room. Oh I am classy! They move their cart out of my way and I sheepishly walk by because I have my normal person in my head screaming at me to calm down but I can't hear her because my crazy is too loud. Okay, now I'm in the dressing room and there is this incessant beeping noise in the background. I try on my first garment and I immediately start crying. Who the heck actually looks good in these things? The whole point is for them to not be forgiving and that is exactly what's happening. I'm working on trying on all of these clothes, trying to look at them as if I wasn't on my period and the beeping noise is still in the background. My mom comes in the dressing room area and asks if they are fitting and all I can say is that the beeping noise is driving me crazy, trying to cover up the fact that I am crying irrationally. Thankfully she was polite enough not to say anything. Long story short, I did not end up with anything. I'm not normally like this. It's definitely a combination of things. Please still talk to me after reading this blog.

Honeymoooon!

I am so stinking excited! That is the place where Aaron and I are staying for our honeymoon!

We are staying at Rosario Resort and Spa in Orcas Islands, Washington State. We always get the polite "Oh, that's nice." when we tell people but we would enjoy that way over any beaches. One of the activities I am really looking foward to is whale watching!

I shall be watching Free Willy to prepare. How does that end again?

I am so giddy right now that birds are following me and mice are making me dresses. I had such a wonderful weekend with my almost-husband. I hate that it is over. The weekend is something I always look forward to and then it goes by in a flash!

I could be on the show The Weekenders... except it doesn't exist... and is a cartoon. I miss that show. I wonder if it's on Netflix. If not I need to add it to my list of things I would want on there such as Boy Meets World and Doug.

This weekend started out by going to this recital dedicated to songs from the Rat Pack. The professor in charge of putting it together said her students didn't know who the Rat Pack was. That better be one one of those things older people like to say to make our generation look stupid or I shall never forgive them.

I thought Aaron and I were going to hang out but his work called and apparently he had a shift he overlooked. Been there, done that. I spent that night watching A Conan O'Brien documentary and King of the Hill as well as working on some homework.

The rest of the weekend we just hung out and did a lot of geocaching. Geocaching is basically a digital treasure hunt where people hide either a small container with valueless trinkets that you swap out or just a log sheet where you write your name and the date you found it. People who aren't geocaching are called muggles and you are supposed to look in a way that doesn't draw attention to yourself. It's hard to be stealth when you are looking around light posts and benches.

Sunday, when we went, we ended up at this beautiful park that we always pass but never go to. It was so picture-book. The kids were playing in the playground, almost everyone had a cute puppy with them, couples sitting on benches, old men reading, and joggers that make you feel bad about yourself. They even had this one area made for prairie dogs and ground squirrels to make there home. That was quite a show because a dog got in and was playing a real-life version of wack-a-mole. A prairie dog would be out of the hole, the dog would get closer with her tail wagging, the prairie dog would make clicking noises to warn others and dart into his hole. Then another prairie dog at the other end of the critter corral would hop out and the game would begin again.

Along with a geocache, we found a kite and a dog chain.

We are already talking about how we are going to do geocaching in Arlington/ Fort Worth. It's such a unique way to learn about the town you live in. I'm excited the adventures of married life. I love that I am marrying someone who loves this mini-adventures as much as I do.

Leaving Fifth Grade Behind

I wish I was better at updating this blog. Truth is, between wedding planning and student teaching, this isn't really a top priority for me.

So here is an update on what you have missed since my last post in January. I have finished teaching fifth grade and I am starting kindergarten tomorrow. Today is the last day of Spring Break which should have really been called wedding planning week.

Fifth grade was tough. Not necessarily in planning. I had two different classes I taught so I taught the same things twice in one day. It was more emotionally exhausting than anything else. Most of these students came from a tough family life at home so it was really interesting as to how they would behave that day.

It wasn't hard because of discipline. I was told I am good with classroom management, which is rare in a student teacher. It was more of I wanted to fix each child. It was really hard not to take what they were going through personally. You wanted to be that one person they could feel safe around and doing that for 56 students can take it out of you.

They were sweet students. Although they are getting to the middle school age, they are still children. They still will give you a hug five minutes after they get in trouble from you. Every single one of these students touched me and I hope I made some sort of impact within the six weeks I was with them.

If anything else, I hope they have a better appreciation for Jazz music because of me!

I'm typing this on my iPhone so I'm not sure how grammatically correct this will end up. I'm laying in bed trying to get on student teaching schedule.

This is it. This is my last semester of college, perhaps of school in general. Of course at this time I get all nostalgic. Of course when am I not. It doesn't help that Aaron and I have been looking for videos and pictures of us when we were cute to make a wedding video.

My how things have changed. Sometimes I wish I could forget about the pain and suffering of the past. I can't complain, though. I feel like my life is one big story of God's love and protection over me. I have such a peace of not knowing what my future holds. In fact, I am way less sure of what the future holds now than when I was a freshman.

I sure am happy. I am not one to be sappy in public, besides the five day count down on Aaron's wall. God has blessed me with someone who is the bee's knees. It starts four years before I ever met him.

At my school, we didn't have sex Ed. We had a purity class. Now the only thing I really remember for that class (besides the obvious overall objective of that class) is we made a list of our perfect guy. My list included that he must not only be a Christian, but passionately pursuing Him ;love his mom ;like sports but not necessarily be athletic; have good taste in music; make me laugh; be a good leader. Those are just a few examples of my long list. Well God took that and ran! Who knew that my future husband not only hit every single item on that list, he lived five minutes away from me since eighth grade and we would be each other's first kiss.

I prayed to God that He wouldn't send me someone until we were ready. That doesn't mean I was patient. I had many people tell me my list was too picky. I almost listened to them a couple of times. I got frustrated with God because no one who came close to my list pursued me. It wasn't until I was actually content with being single did God open my eyes to Aaron.

I guess the whole point to this blog is to give hope to those who are getting frustrated with God's timing. Trust me, He has an amazing plan. This story is just a glimpse into how much God has protected me with His timing.