The holidays are upon us...

Well, the holidays are upon us. I am so excited about spending time with family and having time off from work! Best of all, I'm getting PAID even though I have only been there for three weeks, I still get vacation pay! I love it!

Alan's mom was in the hospital over Thanksgiving and didn't come home until December 10th. She had to have a major surgery, but came through it well and is recovering at home now. We are both so thankful that we'll be able to spend Christmas with her.

Getting through the week she had the surgery was very difficult. We were in Huntsville because I was training for the new job there. Alan had taken the week off so that he could adjust to sleeping at night (he works third shift) before he had to take the LSAT. We were very stressed because we knew the severity of Kathy's condition, but were unable to go visit her before the surgery. The last day that we were there was the day she had her surgery. We drove straight from Huntsville to Sylacauga to see her in the hospital. After visiting for a little while, we had dinner and then headed back to Birmingham. What a long day!

Thanksgiving was fun for us, even though we didn't get to see Alan's family. We went to my mom's house after lunch at my grandparents' house. It was so much fun because ALL of my brothers were home AND all of the nieces and nephews were there! We played monopoly and I got second place...but I got beat by an eleven-year-old...lol :)

I went to a recipe swap at Erika's house and it was so much fun! Alabama winning the SEC championship made it that much more fun! The only thing that could have made it better was if Ashley could have been there :( We did have some fun watching the tow truck pull David's Blazer out of the yard...lol!

I went to an ornament swap with the Vestavia ladies and boy were there a lot of people there! We had 36! I ended up coming home with a Rock 'N Roll snowman ornament that is so cute! I did have a big scare on my way there. I was merging from I-65 to I-459 and there were about 6 cars in the second lane (the lane I was in). One car was lingering in the far right lane that was ending (there were MANY signs that said the right lane ended and to merge right). Well, they did not heed the signs and when that lane ended, they slammed on their breaks. Instead of continuing on and making them wait (since they had PLENTY of time to merge earlier), the car at the front of the pack of six SLAMS on their brakes...not a smart move considering the roads were wet (not soaked, just wet enough to make the oil and water mix and VERY slippery). I was about three cars behind them and there was no way I would have been able to stop without hitting the cars in front of me. I made a snap decision to change lanes to the left (no time to check the lane for cars, use my blinker, check mirrors, etc.). I prayed as I switched lanes that there was no car in the other lane. Thankfully for me, there were no cars in that lane and I was safe. I ended up switching lanes RIGHT before my bumper would have hit the car in front of me. I was okay at first until the seriousness of the situation hit me. I started shaking really badly and was at the brink of tears. The rest of the way to the party, I prayed over and over "Thank you, God." I was so mad at that other driver for not switching lanes in time, but I prayed to God for taking care of me and I tried not to be angry with that driver (what good would it do? I'll probably never see them again.)

Alan's birthday was Monday. We went to Firehouse to eat dinner and watched a movie at home. I love spending time with him! Money is really tight for us right now so I had to give him an IOU for a keyboard. I know he's really been wanting to learn how to play for a long time and I wanted to give him something to help fulfill that dream. I can't believe that's the 4th birthday we've spent together!

I'm almost done Christmas shopping...just a few little things to get. I also need to finish making two presents for Alan and one for his dad. I love the fun of getting presents for people. I like to try and get unique things that no one else would think of or appreciate like that person. I love the joy of finding a really good deal. Two gifts I purchased, for instance, were regularly priced $36 and I got them on sale for $4! How great is that!

One of my favorite parts of the holidays is looking at Christmas lights. We haven't done any looking yet this year because we aren't really familiar with the residential areas around here and don't know where to look. Even though we've been here for over six months (wow, has it been that long?!?), we still stick to the main highways, which have very few houses.

I'm so excited about the possibilities that are ahead of us! Alan is going to start applying for law schools soon. There are SO MANY out there and so much to consider. We both want to explore the country and think it would be so exciting to go somewhere different and out of state. At the same time, I finally have a stable, good-paying job and we don't know if I'll have that if we go somewhere else. There is just so much to think about and time is ticking! Right now, we are keeping our options very open though. I just can't believe law school time is almost here! I am so excited for Alan! This is what we have been looking forward to for so long...it's part of the 'Plan' he told me about when we were dating :)

There is so much that I want to write about, but just don't have the time! I have some serious housecleaning to do these next two weeks! Working outside of the home is one thing, but I am so busy and this job makes me so tired! I wake up at 5 am to start getting ready, leave for work at 7:20 am, work 8 am - 4:30 pm, don't get home til 5 or 5:15 pm (thanks a lot traffic!), change clothes, eat dinner, spend a little time with Alan and then go to bed! That doesn't leave a lot of time for housework! Also, the first weekend I had off from this job, I worked the entire weekend at my part-time job, which REALLY meant no time to catch up on housework! Now that I have two whole weeks off from work (hopefully off from part-time too), I can get some serious work done here! For right now, I'm going to stay at the part-time job also, until we can get caught up on some bills. I want to have as much money as possible saved up before Alan starts law school. Hopefully, he will get some scholarship money and we won't have to get too many loans. I think we can make it on my salary if we are very careful with our spending. We got some really nice things for everyone for Christmas this year, but I was VERY lucky to catch some incredible sales, so we ended up not spending very much at all (about $350 for 15 family members, 2 friends, plus each other's gifts). That may sound like a lot, but the actual value of all the gifts we purchased would be about $1500!

Well, I do need to get to bed so that I have energy for worship in the morning and to accomplish some things tomorrow in between services! Merry Christmas!

Things That I Am Thankful For

This is by no means meant to be an exhaustive list of the things that I am thankful for. I could never compile that list...there isn't enough time!

I am thankful for:

1. A loving God who has blessed me in innumerable ways (for a sampling of these blessings, see numbers 2 and following).
2. A husband who loves me so much more than I deserve, who is patient with me, and who cares for me so deeply.
3. My parents who raised me in the church and taught me what is right.
4. The time that I got to spend with my dad. I long for the day when I see him again. There are so many things about him that I miss and I wish that I had him for longer. If you still have your parents, don't take them for granted!
5. My mom who keeps me grounded by always reminding me to think ahead
6. My brothers, who have all taught me different things about love and life. Even though we don't always agree, I respect them so much and love them dearly.
7. My parents, who blessed me with 5 brothers to teach me strength.
8. My parents, who didn't give me any sisters so I wouldn't have to share any of my stuff :)
   
9. My oldest brother, Ray, who encouraged me to remain pure until I was married and was unafraid to talk to me about these things at a young age.
   
10. My brother, Jeremy, who is one of the reasons I am a faithful Christian today and a reason that I'm with my husband.
11. My brother, Jonathan, who is one of my best friends and who I can always talk to and be open with.
12. My brother, Patrick, who always challenges the way that I look at the Scriptures. I've grown so much out of conversations with him.
13. My brother, Tim, who helps me to remember that there is always someone watching you and that your example can affect others.
14. My nieces and nephews, who have taught me love and what true unconditional love is.
15. Ray and Ginger, who blessed my life with Alex, MacKensie, and Riley.
    
16. My nephew, Zach, who lights up my life everytime that I see him.
17. Jonathan and Dana, who blessed this world with a beautiful child like Zach.
18. Ray, Ginger, Jonathan, and Dana for giving me the nieces and nephews to remind me why I want to wait a LONG time to have kids :)
19. My MawMaw, who has been such a strong fighter these past two years.
20. My uncles, who have all proudly served in our military.
21. Two of my best friends, Erika and Ashley, who have each blessed my life in more ways than they will ever know.
22. My new job that I am so excited about!
23. My friends, Bethany, Robin, and Tiffany. If it weren't for you guys, I don't know if I'd have made it through college!
24. How everything ended in Jacksonville and that making it so much easier to move.
25. Our church family at Vestavia. They have taken us in and helped us to grow so much!
26. My two and three year old class, that teaches me patience and love.
27. The air that I breathe. Thank you so much, God!
28. Having the ability to go into my kitchen and drink clean water.
29. Living in a country where I can worship freely.
30. My job at Jo-Ann and how it has taught me patience and to learn that God knows what is best for me.
31. The Bible and it's ability to always teach me something new.
    
32. Jesus, for dying on the cross and giving His life for me.
    

Throwing Out 50 Things

So I've started reading a book Throw Out 50 Things and it is really motivating! I started in our bedroom (in the order that the book dictates) and, so far, I've gotten rid of about four boxes worth of stuff. I haven't been keeping count, but I am going to go back and make a list so I know exactly how many things I've gotten rid of. She says that helps you to really see how much you've let go of. The hard part, though, is that multiples only count as one item. For instance, if you throw out one magazine or sixty magazines, that still only counts as one item of your fifty. Either way, I am well on my way to fifty and I'm confident I will reach fifty before I go to bed tonight. I'll probably stay up a little late tonight because I slept about 13 hours last night/this morning. I've been a little sick and haven't felt very well at all, but I am starting to feel better and I have lots of energy since I haven't been able to do anything!

I am really excited about the holidays coming up! I've almost finished Christmas shopping, except for a few things for Alan and my mom. The hardest thing is that I've got to get Alan's birthday present also. I have an idea of what I want to get him, but it's going to be hard to find the time to go shopping for it, especially since next week has the most dreaded shopping day! I am very proud of myself for not procrastinating this year. I'm normally shopping right up until the last week before Christmas...but not this year!

I'm also really REALLY excited about my new job! This is the position right below my dream job and I will finally have health insurance! I start on December 1st and I can't wait! I am pretty nervous about it too, but I know that they are going to give me any training that I need. I'm also going to have all of Christmas break to look over my materials and get familiar with everything. I'm also going to have an OFFICE :) I don't know if that means a desk in a room with a bunch of other people, a cubicle, or an actual office, but I don't care! It's so exciting!

Just a quick thought

I've been thinking a lot lately about getting my hair cut again (8 inches). I had it cut back in June and donated 8 inches to Pantene Beautiful Lengths. It was a decision that I struggled with because my hair looked beautiful before I cut it (or at least I thought so). I had been growing it out since Alan and I started dating and had said that I was either going to cut it when I got a job (in my field) or when we moved to a new place. Well, the move came first, so I went through with the cut. Mainly, not even because of wanting to cut my hair. What motivated me was a little girl named Meghan Brittain, who fought for so long for her life, and a young man named Chris Turner, who had a short battle with cancer because of the severity of it when they discovered it. Chris was a patient of my mother's and it hurt me so much to see how badly it hurt my mom while he was in the hospital. The morning I was on my way to get it cut, my mom told me about Chris and how she had been crying on her way home from work each morning. That did it for me. I realized how much she had sacrificed for her patients and I knew that cutting my hair was a very small sacrifice in comparison to hers.

I had an appointment to get my hair cut at 3:30 on that day. Meghan died around 3:15, I think, and Chris died a few minutes before 4:00.

Well, another crossroads has hit me. I've been wanting to cut my hair again and it has grown out so quickly that it's almost long enough. And I have a job in my field now and, if I'm going to cut it, I want to before I start, so I've decided I'm going to get it cut the weekend before I start work!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^My hair before the cut ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Me at the salon^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^After the cut^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I GOT THE JOB!!!

I got a phone call today and I was offered the job with Extension!!! I am so excited! This has been a dream of mine for a long time and it's finally happening! I start December 1st and I can't wait! And, there are little added bonuses to getting a new job...I'll need a new wardrobe which means ShOpPiNg!!! Can't wait for that either! I'm hoping that I'll be able to catch some good sales with the holidays coming up. I'm not going to get too many outfits because I'm still trying to lose weight and don't want to have to alter too many garments. I am so excited that I can barely stand it! I am so thankful to God for giving me this wonderful blessing and I want to say thanks to everyone who has been encouraging me and praying for me these past few months! I am especially thankful to have Alan because he is such a wonderful husband who is so loving and kind and he has been so supportive of me and has encouraged me every step of the way. I can't believe how blessed I am!!!

Pray for Us!

I'm asking everyone to please say a little prayer for Alan and me over the next few weeks! Alan is taking the LSAT (for law school) four weeks from tomorrow! This score will affect how much (if any) scholarship money he is offered...and boy do we need that scholarship money! Also, pray for me with my job situation. It's been hinted that I might get a certain person's job where I'm at now. I also had an interview this morning with Cooperative Extension (dream job!) and I got a letter about setting up an interview in Montgomery for DHR. Hopefully, something will work out! I felt like the interview went really well this morning, but we'll have to wait and see :) We would both appreciate any prayers for us! Thanks!!!

Letting Go

So we've pretty much decided that we are tired of some of the things that have been cluttering our home and our lives. We have a LOT of stuff that is stuff we don't need anymore and is yard sale type stuff, but we don't really have a way to have a yard sale here. I've decided that it isn't worth it holding on to these things so we are going to be doing some major cleaning out and getting rid of a lot of things. I'm going to try and find a donation center that helps battered women/abandoned children/something of that sort. It's going to feel good to help others and to get rid of some things that we no longer need!

Work Stuff

So, I really love where I work, but I've been getting frustrated lately with an employee who seems to think she is everyone's boss (even though she isn't) and who has been unnecessarily rude to customers and fellow employees. Yesterday was the final straw and I reported her to our store manager today. I found out that he's also had customer complaints about her rudeness and that things are "going to be taken care of" (not really sure what that means). I have to put in writing my statements about what exactly she has done (believe me, THAT won't be hard!). I'm not a mean person and I'm not trying to get her fired or anything like that. This person just has some serious attitude problems and should not be lead of guest services (i.e. the person whose job is to make sure everyone leaves the store happy) if she can't be civil with customers.

Anyways. On a good note, I wasn't scheduled for 40 hours this week and I'm actually off on Friday and Saturday, so I asked if I could do one of the demos on Saturday so that I can get a few extra hours. Well, one of Saturday's demos is "Papercrafting with Cricut"!!! I get to spend two hours showing people all of the neat things you can do with a Cricut machine! And better yet, I get to go in for an extra two hours and "play" with the Cricut and practice using it. The best part? I can bring in my own scrapbook paper and make diecuts for my own scrapbooking use! Did I mention that I get to do all of this ON THE CLOCK!!! How awesome is that?!? I'm so excited! As long as I can make it through tomorrow (I have to work 8:30-5 with the aforementioned person), Friday and Saturday will be great!

20 Pounds Ago

So the picture below is of me on our trip to the beach at New Years. I had hit my top weight when we got home from that trip. It's been a difficult road, but I've FINALLY lost 20 pounds!
I am now setting my next goal of another 15 before Christmas! Overall, I want to lose another 35 pounds, but this next part is going to be difficult. I've hit that point where none of my "skinny" clothes fit yet, but all of my "fat" clothes are starting to get too big. Hopefully, I'll be able to push through and get so skinny that I'll have to buy new clothes because my "skinny" clothes won't fit anymore!

Here's a more recent picture of me (this is at about 15 pounds weight lost) :)

Cheaha is Beautiful!

So we got to spend a few days in Cheaha at the end of September. It was so wonderful! That was the first few days that it was actually cold and it was FrEEzInG up there! We had so much fun and are looking forward to going back when the leaves start changing! Here are some pictures from our trip:

This is us at Bald Rock. I can't believe they painted the rock!

The view from Rock Garden! We had never hiked out there, but it was a wonderful view!

Us at the top of the observation tower...very windy!

Yes, those are deer antler chandeliers!

Us at breakfast one morning...what a view!

Brakes...ugh

Well, I went to get an oil change in my car this morning. There is a place nearby that offers a $9.99 oil change with an 8-gallon fill-up, so we decided to take advantage of it...especially since my car was about 3,000 miles overdue. The brakes in my car have been grinding and not sounding very good for the past week or so. I haven't really noticed because Alan's been driving my car (since he has to drive farther and my car gets better gas mileage). I found out that the brakes are metal to metal and I'm going to need at least one new rotor. At least we are so blessed to have two vehicles! And luckily, Alan gets off work at 3 today and I don't have to be at work until 4, so he's going to take me to work. This just means one more thing for us to save up to pay for. The price quoted was equal to two weeks' of my pay. Thankfully, I have a job!

I'm also looking into other ways to save money. I recently ran out of eyeliner. I didn't really wear eyeliner much until the past few years and I thought I was going to die when I ran out! Well, I kept forgetting when I was at the grocery store and then when I remembered, I didn't have the right coupons. Anyways, all of this forgetting has caused me to experiment with "my look" and I've found a look that I actually like better and I think it is much more natural.

I've been somewhat frustrated with some things at work lately. I love my job, but the management isn't doing a very good job. Our District Team Leader was giving us a speech last week about the registers and cutting counter and he said that the MOD should never have to get on either and, if they do, that's a sign that the store isn't being managed properly. Well, the day before he gave the speech, the MOD was on the register AND was being called to help at cutting counter at the same time! Of course, the DTL didn't know about this until after his speech. Anyways, I think the biggest reason we are losing so many employees is because the pay is not very good and people don't have a regular schedule. I would love to have a job where I know what my schedule is going to be, but they change it almost daily! And I have to close tonight so I'll basically get home in time to see Alan for a few minutes before he goes to bed.

Prayer Request for Trevor Willis

A coworker of mine (Kim W. as we call her:)) has a son, Trevor, who is turning 9 tomorrow. A couple of years ago, Trevor had a battle with lung cancer. It was in remission until recently. This past week, they found out that the cancer is back. Trevor is in Children's Hospital. He has a drainage tube in his chest and is on oxygen because of a bubble in his lung. He is facing 36 weeks of chemotherapy and 2 weeks of radiation. I feel so much for Kim right now. Trevor has a younger brother and an older brother. Tomorrow is his birthday and it would really mean a lot to me to those of you who keep up with my blog if you would say a little prayer for Trevor and his family. They have a very difficult road ahead of them.

Christmas Shopping and such

Okay, so I'm really ahead on the whole Christmas shopping thing this year! At work, last weekend was double discount days for us, which meant we got 30% off...even on sale prices! I ended up being able to get some nice things for my friends that I never would have been able to afford without the sale price and discount! I also got presents for both of our grandmothers! I'm still not sure what I'm going to get Alan for Christmas. I want to get him something really useful and something that will really mean a lot to him. I guess I'll have to think some more about that!

I'm also trying really hard to go through some things in our spare room. I want to get it set up as a study area for Alan to use to study for the LSAT and also as a crafting/sewing area for myself. We still have a bunch of boxes to go through, but I took a bag of trash out last week and the trash can is about half full right now. I'm also trying to figure out what to do with some of our things that we no longer have room for. Going from a two-bedroom townhouse to a two-bedroom apartment is a bigger change than I thought! I'm really hoping that we can sell a bunch of stuff on eBay and hopefully use the money to buy some furniture for the patio, but we'll have to see!

I've been pretty lonely today because Alan has been asleep all morning. He worked third shift last night and so he's been sleeping :) I have to work 3 to close tonight and then I open tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to next week though because I think we are both going to have Tuesday and Wednesday off! I'm also excited about Sunday because we are going back to visit Jacksonville. I can't wait to see Erika! It's been too long!!!

Well, I need to take a shower before work so I need to go now!

An Epitaph

Sunday morning, a woman who I never had the pleasure of meeting breathed her last breath on this earth. Annelle Comer is someone who I have heard a lot about, especially over the past week. She wasn't famous by any means. A simple woman who loved God, her husband, and her children. She had 5 bypass heart surgery on June 3...the first day that Alan and I attended services at Vestavia church of Christ. She was the wife of one of the elders/preachers there. I've only seen one picture of her, but I have heard many stories about her that have touched my heart. Annelle struggled with a long recovery in the hospital these past three months and she was on and off the ventilator. Last week, with her husband Harold, she decided not to go back on again. She was facing dialysis (which she has also had to have on and off the past three months) and just never being the same again. Harold went and sat with her around 6:30 AM on Sunday and she went to sleep around 10 AM.

On Wednesday night, one of the elders encouraged all of the young women of the congregation to make a decision to live a life like Annelle...to be a strong Christian example like she was and to use talents to encourage and uplift others. In our Wednesday class, Jason asked us to strongly think about two questions. #1: How do I want to be remembered? #2: What am I doing about it?

#1: How do I want to be remembered?
I want to be remembered as someone who sought to live after Christ, someone whose heart was "after God's own heart." I would like to live so that I could be called a handmaiden of the Lord, like Mary was (Luke 1:38). I want to be remembered as having a meek and quiet spirit, as a woman who loved her husband and respected him the way the Bible commands. I want people to remember me as someone who did whatever she could to help those in need and who sought diligently to teach others about God's Word. I want people to remember my kindness and gentleness. I want my children to be thankful to have had me as a mother. When people remember me, I want them to immediately think of Christ and His love.

#2: What am I doing about it?
I have resolved to live my life in a way so that all of things might truly be said about me at the end of my life.

I think past these two questions, there is also a third and important question. Why do I want to be remembered this way? I want to be remembered this way, not because I want people to remember me as a great person, but because I want to get to Heaven. I want to spend eternity in the presence of Christ's eternal glory!

Thinking about these questions has generated lots of pondering for me. I've been thinking more about even the smallest decisions. For instance, what does it matter how I dress if that's all that people remember about me? I'm not insinuating that it's wrong to dress in a stylish manner (as long as it's also modest). I'm just trying to consider more why I want to dress stylishly... why I want to have nicer things... why I care what others think.

Experiencing God

So I noticed an acquaintance posted a note on facebook earlier this week about his Auburn football experience this past week. I'm not trying to come down on him at all (just in case anyone reading this knows who I'm referring to), I just had an epiphany after reading his note. It didn't really hit me until later on, but I started wondering why people don't experience God the way they experience football.

Some people might disagree that you don't 'experience' God, but I think it all depends on your definition of experience. Just so that we're all on the same page here, I am NOT saying that religion should be based on feelings and emotions. Belief in God and that Christ is our Saviour are simple logical facts that we must accept and understand if we are to experience anything in Him.

So here's the point: I think most people put more feeling and excitement into sports, or food, or hunting, or wherever their passion lies and have no idea how to experience God with the same kind of enthusiasm. Imagine what our worship would be like if we truly believed that Christ was there with us! Imagine the reverence that we would have while partaking of the Lord's Supper if we understood the magnitude of what it truly means!

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with enjoying sports. I love Alabama football and I know more about football than almost all women (and a good bit of men, too!) so this is not my way of bashing sports. I think sports are great because they encourage children to be active and find a healthy way of releasing some of life's frustrations. I just think we have some seriously misplaced priorities as a society. It's just really hard to imagine people getting as excited about worshipping God in the way they get excited about sports.

Job News

Well, I FINALLY found out about the DHR job that interviewed for a month ago. They chose someone else and I'm not as upset about it as I thought I would be. I guess I had told myself that I wouldn't get the job (to keep from getting my hopes up), so I was kind of prepared for the news. I don't feel too bad about it though, because I know the interview went really well, there were just so many people qualified for the job (they offered interviews to 49 people!). I know that God knows what is best for me and hopefully something closer will come up.

For right now, I'm loving my job at the fabrics and crafts store! We opened on Friday (I was on the cash register when we opened) and it was insane!!! We had a soft opening, which means no advertising, just word of mouth, and our grand opening is next week. Usually traffic is much higher at grand opening since they advertise about that. They said that our traffic at the soft opening was as high as a usual grand opening, which means grand opening is going to be CrAzY!!! I also found out that I got a promotion!!! The STL wanted me as Lead Cashier/Secondary Front-End Supervisor, which means I'm the Front-End Supervisor when the Primary Front-End Supervisor isn't there (which will pretty much be anytime I'm working)...I'm pretty excited about it because that means a RAISE!!! I should find out later this week how much the raise will be, so keep your fingers crossed that it will be a big, fat raise! The promotion also means that I will (probably) be full-time...so I can finally get health insurance!!! Alan gets it through his work, but we only signed up for it for him because it's outrageous for family coverage (why don't insurance offer couple's insurance?)...so that is REALLY good news since flu season and all the scares are coming up.

Speaking of flu season, I'm trying to decide if I'm going to continue my boycott on flu shots. The only times I have ever gotten the flu are the three times that I got the flu shot. They say that it's not as bad if you still get it if you had the shot, but all three times, I was MIA for a few days and still felt bad for about a week and a half later, so I'm probably going to continue my boycott...we'll see.

Well, I have to work from 3 until 10 tonight and I have lots of laundry to fold and I was planning on making a grocery trip before I go to work, so I better get off the computer and get things done!

Missing Alan :)

Okay, so I have the most wonderful husband in the world and I know it! I hate days like today and, unfortunately, there are probably going to be a lot like this over the next few months. He works 7 am-3 pm and I work 12 pm-7 pm. I hate being away from him all day and I know that I'll be so tired by the time that I get home that I won't feel like doing anything. My feet have been killing me every day when I get off work. Yesterday was especially rough because I ran the cash register all day long and had to stand in the same place. I also hate that we can't have water (to drink) on the sales floor. That means if you get swamped at the register for 4 hours, you don't have anything to drink either. Ideally, if you are working an eight hour shift, you get a 15 minute paid break after 2 hours, a 30 minute unpaid break (lunch) after 4 hours, and another 15 minute paid break after 6 hours...yeah, that's not gonna happen. We were swamped yesterday and they had called people in...we had every register open and had every location at cutting counter covered. I can't begin to imagine how it's going to be during grand opening in 2 weeks and especially how it will be during the holidays!

At least I have Alan though :) Coming home and seeing him is the highlight of my day. He's even sweet enough to rub my feet at night, which really makes them feel a lot better. He's so wonderful to me. Last week, when I was sick, he left work to take me home and make sure I was okay and then on Thursday (which was his off day), he spent the whole day taking care of me and making sure that I didn't overdo myself. I can't believe that God blessed me with such a wonderful man to spend my life with. A few weeks ago, we weren't talking at work about our names. I mentioned that I had changed my middle name to my maiden name after Alan and I got married. Someone asked me what my name would be if we got divorced and I said "we aren't going to get divorced." She said "yeah, but what if he leaves you or you just don't want to be married anymore?" I told her that we said "until death do us part" and that we meant it...that wasn't just a promise to each other, but a promise that we made to God. She said that she wished she could find someone that she was that in love with. I guess that's part of the problem with society today is that people think love is always supposed to be easy and that, if you aren't "in love" with someone, there's nothing left. Our society has fallen into the illusion that nothing bad ever happens to you if you're in love and that relationships are always perfect when you are in love...no one ever has bad breath, no one ever has stinky feet (or farts, lol), and you get roses everyday. Well, that's not reality.
Reality is knowing that my breath is horrible in the morning (yes, I admit it). It's understanding that roses aren't something we can afford. It's acknowledging that neither of us are perfect, but that we are both willing to try. It's knowing that I'm definitely not the easiest person to get along with, but that he loves me so much and understands me better than anyone else and that he is willing to take the time to make me feel better.

I guess I'm just writing this as a way to express my feelings about my marriage. I have a wonderful husband who loves me for who I am and who wants to help me reach my ultimate goal of Heaven. I could not ask for more :)

The Eternal Weight of Glory

^{2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16}So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ¹⁸ as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Our preacher, Jason, taught on this yesterday. I really loved the way he talked about it. It made me realize things I had never seen before. This affliction that we are under now may seem unbearably heavy right now, but it is nothing when compared to how glorious our eternal reward shall be...so much so that our eternal weight of glory is unworthy of comparison to this life! I'm going to try and keep this in perspective anytime things here 'below the sun' seem bad.

What's up with me?

Okay...so that could be a totally loaded question that no one could ever answer...lol. However, last week was pretty "eventful" for me so I feel like expressing my frustrations with my body.

So two weeks ago, I started having a little bit of some allergies...took some nyquil and dayquil for a couple of days...sinus problems gone...or so I thought. Last week, I was trained how to do 'cut counter' at work on Monday. I get to work on Tuesday and find out I'm training everyone else on how to do 'cut counter.' WHAT?!? I just learned how to do this yesterday! Are you kidding?!? Okay, so I seize the opportunity and train everyone who is in the store on Tuesday. All goes well. I get done training everyone and go to fabrics to learn how to drape the fabrics (totally awesome technique, btw, that makes the fabrics look great!). I'm in fabrics for less than five minutes and I start sneezing like crazy! My eyes start watering and I can hardly breathe out my nose! I get home and it continues to worsen. I figure it's just my allergies acting up again and just push through it. Don't really think anything about it at the time, but I wasn't really hungry for dinner so I just munched on a few fries, chips, and have an applesauce. Wake up on Wednesday and feel TERRIBLE, but decide to suck it up and go into work. Realize I'm running incredibly late and don't have time to eat breakfast at home. Thinking I have a pack of crackers in my work bag, I grab my stuff and run out the door. As I'm waiting at the light to turn onto the highway, I realize I don't have crackers after all. Oh well, I'll just grab some food out of the glovebox (I'm in Alan's car and he USED to have a stash of food in the glovebox...USED to being very key here--I emptied it months ago when we realized all of the food in the glovebox was VERY, VERY stale). No biggie, I'll just grab something on our 10:00 break and I'll be fine. I get to work and continue training on 'cut counter' for anyone who wasn't at work on Tuesday. I'm in my first session of training and I start feeling really hot and sweaty. I'm nearly finished with the first group and I think "If I can just make it through this group, I'll tell Sherry I need to take a break." I start feeling light-headed, so I head to the bathroom (one of the few places the a/c actually works) and cool off for a minute. Thinking I'm better, I head back to the cut counter to finish up the group's training session. I start getting even more light-headed, so I call Sherry over. When she finally arrives, I tell her I'm not feeling well and I don't think I can finish this session. As I'm talking to her, things start getting spinny and weird looking. I tell her I'm going to go sit in the breakroom for a few minutes and start walking towards the clock-out computer to clock-out...next thing I know, Sherry is under one of my arms and Julie's under the other and they are dragging me to the breakroom (the only place in the store with chairs). Someone grabs a bran muffin with pb and someone else fixes me a crystal light. I'm shaking like crazy and scared to death. My nerves finally get calmed and I start to feel a little better.

Anyways, all of this happens and people start asking me if I'm pregnant...seriously, the count is at 9 or 10 now! Well, the answer is probably not. I had my period about 2 1/2 weeks ago and I'm bleeding now. I think I might have been pregnant, but I'm pretty sure that I'm not right now. We've also discovered that I'm probably allergic to something in some of the fabrics that we carry in the store.

So what exactly caused me to pass out? Was it not eating breakfast? My naturally low blood pressure? A racing pulse from being on dayquil? The ridiculous heat in the store?
I don't think it was any one particular thing on this list...maybe a combination of all of it?

I am feeling much better now and have not skipped any meals since the incident...not that I really ever skip meals (obviously, lol).

Life is Crazy!

Well, the past few weeks have been pretty crazy for us! Alan's last day at Crown was on our anniversary and he started training for his new job that Thursday. He got a call this past Thursday (20th) and he started work yesterday! He likes his new job except that he will have to miss worship on some Sunday mornings. He works 7 AM to 3 PM and tomorrow he has to work. It's going to be pretty weird for me without him with me in the morning. We are just both very thankful that God has provided stable jobs for both of us. I started work last week and I love it! I got to put away scrapbook paper on Tuesday and I worked on jewelry on Thursday! It is so much fun, but it's very tiring. I haven't worked in so long, so an 8-5 day is pretty killer...put 4 of those in a row and that makes for a very tired Kelley!

I'm having my first PC party on Thursday and I am so excited about it! I really hope that I get some bookings off of it.

I know it's goofy to talk about the weather, but it's 66 outside! It feels incredible! I love early fall and the weather changing! I can't wait for the leaves to start changing. Our 'backyard' is basically a forest, so it will hopefully be beautiful in a few weeks!

This summer has been very strange for us. We haven't been on vacation since the marriage retreat and I really miss the mountains. I'm hoping we can get caught up on our bills and start saving and maybe go to the beach again this winter. I'm trying to talk Alan into boycotting Christmas, but not sure if we'll go through with it. I told him that with the money we would save on buying people presents, we could pay for our trip! LOL! Anyways, we have to get enough money just to pay our bills, so for now, that's just a dream.

I'm so proud of myself...I've finally completely caught up on my Bible reading! I was almost a month behind, so it took a little while, but I did it! I'm going to try to start reading some Bible study books that I have. I still haven't read the books that the J'ville elders gave me as a graduation present (they are Cindy Colley books so I'm really excited to read them!). I'm going to start doing some studying on my lunch break at work since we get an hour and it only takes me about 20 minutes to eat. I really enjoy getting to know some of the people that I work with, but there are some that really eat at my nerves...almost like nails on a chalkboard! I just have a problem with people who have no work ethic. Anyways, maybe some people will see me studying and we can strike up a conversation!

Well, I'm getting pretty tired and I need to get a few things done before I go to bed. Nighty night!

Movie Quotes and such...

I feel like thinking a lot right now. It seems like there is so much going on in our lives! I have a job that I have orientation for on Wednesday, I have an interview on Thursday, and then another interview on next Wednesday! Also, a special someone in my heart :) found out that he will be doing a training course and has a conditional offer of employment (he gets the job as long as he passes drug test, training course, and gets certified to carry a handgun)! I really can't believe how things are changing.

A favorite quote of mine from a little movie called You've Got Mail is this: "People are always telling you that change is a good thing, but what they're really saying is that something you didn't want to happen just happened." I love that quote! I've seen that movie so many times that I seriously could probably quote it. Sadly, I don't have it on DVD...I have it on VHS! I actually like that better because sometimes I'll watch 15 minutes when I'm eating lunch or something and I can always start it right back where I was!

Anyways...I don't hate change. I don't love change either. Some change is good, some is bad, some good turns out to be bad, and some bad turns out to be good. I guess that's just how life is. At least we know that all things (i.e. changes) work together for good for those that love the Lord (Romans 8:28)!

Another quote I like is from the movie Tin Cup: "Either you define the moment or the moment defines you." I'm trying to define the current moment myself. I don't want to let life's circumstances define me, although I know they have and will continue to shape who I am. There are so many things that have happened in my life that have affected the person that I am. I have five brothers, me being the next to youngest, which means a lot of my childhood was defined as being "Little Turner Girl." I guess that's part of why I love being away from home and where I grew up...I'm not bound to that little shell that I always had. Even though I went to college, I didn't go far from home and most of the people in the church had known me growing up, so everyone at college and church already had their opinions formed about me. I guess that's why Ashley and Erika and I all got along so well, because we all got to be "who we were" and not just what we had always been.

Next quote: "Every man dies, but not every man really lives" from Braveheart. I hope that, when I die, people will be able to say that I really lived.

"Nothing has turned out as we expected. It never does. Life's under no obligation to give us what we expect. We take what we get and are thankful it's no worse than it is" from Gone With the Wind. I never expected to meet a man who I would fall so madly in love with. I never truly believed that "happily ever afters" actually existed. Not to say that our life is perfect...like the quote says, nothing has really turned out as we expected, but we are thankful for what we've got.

"Beginnings are scary and endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most" from Hope Floats. This quote is unusually sad, but exceptionally true. Love it!

"Truth hurts. Maybe not as much as jumping on a bicycle with a seat missing, but it hurts" from Naked Gun 2 1/2. This one just makes me laugh REALLY hard!

"As we grow older, it becomes difficult to just believe. It's not that we don't want to, but too much has happened that we just can't" from Now and Then. I haven't actually seen this movie, but I really liked this quote.

"I guess sometime there just aren't enough rocks" from Forrest Gump. I love/hate this part of that movie. It's so sad, but it's such a defining moment for Jenny...she finally faces something that affected so much of her childhood.

I've been thinking so much lately about different things and about how life is changing. I love some of the changes, but hate some of the others. I am just so thankful that God is watching out for me and that He is the one calling the shots. I know that I am in good hands.

Motivation

Philippians 4:13 states "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

I am going to use this verse as motivation to stop making excuses for all of the things that I feel like I can't do or don't want to do, but know that I need to do.

Losing weight is a big part of this, but it is not the only part. I am going to be a better wife and I'm going to do better about getting housework done. I am also going to limit myself to one hour on the computer per day (excluding time for Pampered Chef work, when I have any). I am going to exercise every day. Not just because I want to lose weight, but because I know it's what I need to do to be healthy.

I know that I can do this because I have Christ on my side and as long as I remember the things He went through for me, I will always have the confidence to do the things that I need to.

Mystery Shopping!

A long time ago, I signed up for a mystery shopping thing, but they never had any jobs in Jacksonville (big surprise). Well, I got an email from them today, reminding me to check for any new jobs, so I decided to look, thinking maybe there would be more in B'ham. I'm glad I did! I have 3 mystery shops to do tomorrow! One of them is in Trussville, so I don't know if I'll do it since it's about a 30 minute drive from here, but the other two are only 15 minutes away! It's not much, but it will be a little to help us until payday! This is a great opportunity because I can go on my own time, so I'll be able to continue taking jobs even when I start working! I'll post tomorrow after I finish and we'll see how it all goes!

Remington is the best hair product company ever!!!

Okay, so I know this is like my 10th post today, but I'm in a mood to write (type?).

Awhile back, I bought a hair straightener from Wal-Mart. It straightens and dries your hair (called Wet2Style). Well, after I had only had it for a short period of time, I plugged it in and it caused the breaker to flip in the upstairs at our old apartment. Well, I called the 1-800 number on the back of the box and they sent me a new one. Also, to compensate me for my trouble, they also sent me a new hair dryer (way better than the one I currently had too). So I got a new straightener, and a new hair dryer. Well, we get to our new apartment here in Birmingham and my straightener starts acting funny and keeps reading "E1" and won't heat up. I look up the number for the company and call them. The lady tells me to send in my product with a note explaining the problem. I send it in ($8 shipping btw) and wait...thinking it will be at least 4-6 weeks and thinking they will probably just fix some little problem on the straightener and send it back to me...maybe send a replacement if they can't fix it. I sent it off last Tuesday, so I'm expecting to have to wait for a long, long time...basically thinking I'll get it back in August or September. Well, Tuesday there was a present waiting for me on my doorstep. Was it my straightener? Fixed already? NO! It was better! It was a new straightener...and not just a new version of my old straightener...a new and improved straightener! I looked online and the cost of my old straightener is $34.99 and the cost of this one is $49.99! That means I got a much better straightener for my trouble! The pic below is my new straightener, which I am actually considering exchanging at Wal-Mart because, although a higher quality straightener, it doesn't dry while it styles and I really liked that feature on my old straightener. Because my hair is so thick now (it's gotten SO MUCH thicker than when I was younger), it takes forever to dry. Even though I got about 10 inches cut off, it still seems like it won't get completely dry in the back. I also liked that the old straightener had a curved edge. I may upgrade when I exchange, but I think I'm going to exchange because this straightener doesn't have all the features that I want in a straightener.

Anyways, all of this to say, Remington has definitely impressed me!

Interview with DHR!!!

I FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY got a letter from DHR! I took the test for Financial Support Worker back in February (I think?) and hadn't really heard anything back...until today! I got a letter in the mail and I am going to get an interview for a job in Montgomery!!! The pay is really good!!! It's about 1 hour and 15 minutes drive from our apartment, but totally worth it to get my foot in the door with DHR! I am so excited! I thought this day would never come! I'm not going to get my hopes up too bad though. My rank is #4 out of 49, but I'm tied with 45 other people, so pretty much that means I'm tied for last place. Hopefully this will all work out how it's supposed to, but nonetheless, I am very excited!!!

A Place In This World

The following lyrics hit me right in the heart. I don't feel like I'm completely alone. I have God who is always by my side. And I have Alan, who I know loves me greatly. I guess I kind of feel like this song describes what's going on for Alan and I right now. We are both trying to find a job that uses our degree and makes us feel like we are doing something special.

I don't know what I want, so don't ask me
Cause I'm still trying to figure it out.
Don't know what's down this road,
I'm just walking, trying to see through the rain coming down.

Even though I'm not the only one who feels the way I do
I'm alone, on my own and I'm starting off.
I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh, but life goes on.
Oh, I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in this world.

Got the radio on, my old blue jeans,
And I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve.
Feeling lucky today, got the sunshine.
Can you tell me what more do I need?

And tomorrow's just a mystery, oh, yeah, but that's okay.
I'm alone, on my own and I'm starting off.
I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh, but life goes on.
Oh, I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in this world.

Maybe I'm just a girl on a mission, but I'm ready to fly.

I'm alone, on my own and I'm starting off.
Oh, I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh, but life goes on.
Oh, I'm alone, on my own and I'm starting off.
Oh, I'm just a girl trying to find a place in this world.

Oh, I'm just a girl.

Answered Prayers

I finally found a job! It's not anything big, but it's something to help pay the bills. I'm going to be working at Jo-Ann's Fabrics and Crafts. It's a new store opening in September. I'm really excited!

I am so thankful to God for this opportunity. Although I want a job where I am using my degree, I feel like I will do well in this since a lot of my interest and creativity was sparked by many of my classes.

Just wanted to state also, that I know just because you don't get what you ask for, doesn't mean God didn't answer your prayer. I believe there are three answers to prayers: yes, no, and not right now. When I was praying to get the job for the city in Jacksonville, God's answer was 'not right now.' He knew that He would be providing us with greater things. I am so thankful for His divine wisdom. I can't imagine life without His guidance.

I am finally getting more caught up in my Bible reading. I'm reading through in a chronological reading. It's very interesting and it's also helping me to learn the placement of characters better. If you are interested, you can print the schedule here: http://thebible.net/read/chron.pdf
It's very interesting to see the divine nature of planning that goes through the Bible.

Pouring out my heart

I know that I have let my faith slip over the last few months. Sometimes going through hard times make you stronger in the Lord and sometimes they make you have a false sense of your own personal strength. I have trusted in myself too much and not relied on the Lord. I am praying that I will have the strength to keep on going, even though right now is a difficult time for us...not relationship wise, everything is great there. I even feel like we have grown closer through all of this. It has been hard staying strong in my faith because I have seen what poison can do within the church. It brings me to tears thinking about all of the things that were said about us and about everything that happened with Josh and Ashley. I can't believe that they are having to move away. I love so many of the people at the Jacksonville congregation and I hate that things had to end like they did. I wish our leaving and the Romos' leaving had been our/their choice. It makes me feel like we aren't wanted. I know that some people didn't want us there. It hurts me to think that I have a sister in Christ who is (IMO) happy that me and my two closest friends (besides Alan) have been torn apart (geographically). Josh and Ashley will be moving soon and I'll probably only get to see them one more time before they move.

I didn't realize how upset I still am about everything until I started writing this. I can't believe how inconsiderate some people were towards us. There are so many people there who I miss. Erika has been such a blessing in my life. I know that she thinks she has been a burden to Ashley and me, but I think I speak for both of us when I say that she has taught me to appreciate even the smallest things in our marriage. For instance, I used to get irritated about Alan leaving hangers in the closet instead of hanging them on the door. I learned to be thankful that he was at least there and that his clothes were still in the closet with mine. Sometimes I feel like Alan doesn't appreciate how much I do around the house and going grocery shopping. Then I realize that I don't appreciate how much he does by working so hard. I know how much he loves me when I think about the fact that he has put off going to law school for all of the time we've been together so that I could finish school. He worked in a job that he loathed so that I could finish school and so that we could pay our bills. Anyways, I was talking about how Erika has been a blessing in my life. In so many ways we are alike. Sometimes I feel like we are thinking with the same brain, yet we are so different! When we first met, I never would have believed that we would end up best friends. She has such a wonderful and caring attitude. She has been through so much and is still so strong. She is such a great example to so many young girls. I think that some of the older women look at her and think that she got herself into this situation, but they don't realize that they could be in it too. Just because you marry a Christian man doesn't give you insurance against him leaving you. I can't imagine going through what Erika has been through these last two years. And on top of all that she's gone through, she still encourages others and never forgets birthdays, or important dates, or even just to send a little note. She always seems to send me a note right at the time that I need one. I am so thankful to God for giving me Erika and for using her to teach me so many lessons. I wish that I could be as good of a friend to her as she has been to me.

Ashley has also made a footprint on my heart. I can't believe that I'm hardly ever going to get to see her anymore. I am thankful that God has blessed them with another job, but it's so hard to see them go. Ashley has also taught me many things. She has been so strong through all that they went through with being let go. I can't imagine the anxiety that they are probably still going through. Ashley has taught me to be proud of who I am and not to try and change just because that's what other people want.

I don't know how to explain it, but I feel like my heart has been intertwined with Erika's and Ashley's. With us moving away, and now Ashley and Josh moving away, it feels like someone is ripping my heart into pieces and running the pieces through a blender.

I am trying so hard not to get upset and I have refrained myself from thinking about certain people at Jacksonville (so much so that I censored some people from my facebook, so that I wouldn't have to see anything about them). I want to live my life right and be the Christian I know that I can be so that I can spend eternity together with Erika and Ashley. It's my prayer that we can all uplift each other through the difficulties that are ahead.

Saturdays

Well, this is Alan's first Saturday working and it's very wierd. It doesn't feel like today is a Saturday. I wish Alan was here to help me get some things done around the house, but I know that him being at work today is very important...probably more important than any other day of the week since Saturdays are when he will be most likely to sell a car or make a contact that will be a future buyer. I'm excited about getting some things put on eBay to sell. Hopefully everything I put up will actually sell. I have some textbooks that I'm going to put up, but I'm going to put the start selling date for later this month (closer to school starting back). Maybe those will bring in some serious cash. Lucky for me, all of my textbooks that I've bought online, I sold for more than I paid for them originally! That's a pretty good deal if you asked me!

I am so ready to get the boxes out of the dining room and unpacked! I can't wait until we REALLY get settled in. I won't feel like we are settled in until all of the boxes are unpacked and everything is put in it's place. I'm glad we finally have internet at home though. At least I don't have to go to the library every time I want to check my email or apply for a job...and I'm not bound by the time limits, so I can actually apply for more jobs. I put a link in the toolbar to remind me to check with cooperative extension everyday for new job postings. There's a job posted for Southern Living magazine that I am going to apply for even though I don't really meet all of the requirements. If I could at least make some contacts, that would be great!

Well, I need to get in the shower. I'm bringing Alan lunch today :) and I want to look nice when I see him!

Frustrations

Well, I had a job interview with Home Depot on Monday and thought it went pretty well. She told me that she would be in contact on Tuesday or Wednesday...would definitely make the decision by Thursday and I haven't heard anything. I tried calling today and she told me that she'd have to pull my file so to call back at 3 pm. I called back and she put me on hold...for 25 minutes and she never picked back up so I hung up and tried calling back. They said they were sorry, but she wasn't answering her phone right now. I'm not sure what to do, but I really hope I get a job soon. We really need the money.

We had to get the brakes fixed on the pathfinder and luckily Alan could get a discount at work. They said it would have cost $1400-1500 to fix, but it was only going to cost us about $800. They finally finished today (after 1 1/2 weeks) because they kept getting the wrong part in or not getting the part in at all. Anyways, it ended up only costing $715, which was a big relief for our checkbook!

I'm trying to find things around the house to put on eBay so that we can maybe get a little extra money from that. I wish that I could get some Pampered Chef shows booked, but I just don't know anyone around here to have a show yet. I actually have business cards now though, so maybe that will help. We went to Books-A-Million the other night and I stuck a few cards in the weddings section (since we do registries). Maybe someone will book one!

I can't believe that today is Friday. It doesn't feel like it at all...especially since Alan has to work tomorrow. I'm trying to not be too lonely, but I feel like I need to get out of the house. Unfortunately, getting out of the house and going anywhere requires me spending money...which we don't have any of (okay, we have a little, but it's already earmarked for bills). I miss Erika and Ashley. Even though we didn't hang out a lot during the week, I guess it was just comforting knowing that they were close by.

I guess I'm just really unsure about what to do. I have applied for SO MANY jobs and Home Depot is the only one I've even heard anything from. I know that me getting a job isn't going to instantly solve all our money problems (I'm thinking about that $2300 credit card bill we have and the $370 we owe on my tires), but at least we would be able to pay those bills down and maybe be able to put a little in savings.

I really wish I could get some shows booked. Even if they were small shows, 4 shows a month would bring in an extra $300 a month and would only take about 5 hours a piece of work. That's pretty good money if you asked me! The problem is just getting the shows booked.

Well, I think I've done enough complaining for now. I already have dinner in the oven so it should be finishing up right as Alan gets home from work...btw, he doesn't get off until 7 tonight.

I really love our new home even though there are numerous things that need to be fixed. I keep thinking "when we have more money, we can fix _______." And trust me, the options to put in that blank are quite a few. I want curtains for both bedrooms and the living room (sliding glass double doors). I would like to put some shelving in the laundry area (aside from the half-shelf that we now have which only has supports on one side so it leans if you put anything slightly heavy on that side). I would love to have a new washer and dryer so we could NOT have to have the washer 6 inches into the hallway so that it doesn't leak...and this is just the beginning of my list.

Well, I do need to get some things done around here before Alan gets home from work. I think I might try to wash the dishes that are piled up in both sinks. Maybe I'll be done by the time he gets home.