Merry Christmas

I made a cake for our store Christmas party. It was a lot of fun to make, and everyone seemed to like it as well!

Working hard to get everything done to be able to hit the road on Christmas Eve. Seems like there's so much laundry to wash before I can start packing.

Can't wait to get home and see loved ones!

Miracles

I'm going to start out by saying How Awesome Is Our God!!! I've been so overwhelmed with His amazingness in the last week with how abundantly He's been blessing Pete and Jen. It's also been amazing how praying for them has brought me closer to some of the ladies in the bible study I've been going to. Having them text for updates on how Pete was and calling and praying with them, then hearing how prayers were ANSWERED really lifted my spirits.

Moving had been hard, and I'd been feeling really alone, but I'm reminded that God's really there and He listens!

On other to other miracles, snow in Houston. Not just flurries, but sticking covering the ground snow! Pictures are so you could believe me. Seeing the palm trees in the neighborhood covered in snow is just WEIRD! I'm hoping they make it, there are so many tropical plants here. The forecast is for 1-3 inches. I thought they were crazy until I saw it with my own eyes!

Thanksgiving

These are the yummy dishes I took to the neighbor's Thanksgiving gathering. Apples cooked in the red hots and Mexican Cheesecake. People really liked what I brought. It was nice to hear the mummer about what is it, it's good ect. When it came time to leave, they wouldn't let me bring home any of the cheese cake (that super easy recipe using cresent rolls and cream cheese and sugar) and we got a few apples lol!

It was a beautiful day, and we at out in the back yard. They have an awesome patio with a fire pit. It was amazing. I ate my first fried turkey. It was AMAZING! It was neat to see the regional differences. There were grits, which was fun and yummy! They made dressing, but just a little bit but had a HUGE bowl of mashed potatoes.

We took a plate of leftovers home, and couldn't eat them for dinner we were still so full. It was nice, but we missed being at home.

Black Friday wasn't so bad, considering I got to close instead of open. I was the only cashier, but that meant that I was busy. It was hard to be nice to the people who were upset that we didn't have the 299 computers at 6 pm! O the joys of holidays lol!

That was easy!

I wish I would have taken a picture of Tony, the guy who's birthday it was. He was so excited that a) the cake was awesome b) i took the time to make it for him and c) he got a promotion yesterday, so he really loves staples.

I had a blast making it, and it was so fun to see how excited all my co-workers were about it. One guy let me know the cake was good, and he didn't even like cake! Victory!

Weekend fun

Most weekends are spent laying around watching tv, asking each other "what do you want to do? I don't know, what do you want to do?" we rarely have any ideas, but this morning was different. I was checking my e-mail, and saw an ad for a civil war re-enactment. We decided to go, and headed out.

I would post pics of how awesome it was, except bright me looked in my purse and saw my camera case, but didn't check to see if the camera was inside.. oops, it's sitting right here next to the computer where I left it after posting pics of halloween lol!

Yes, life is so boring I don't need my camera for months on end!

The re-enactment was neat. Lots of cool costumes, billowing smoke from cannons, and PERFECT WEATHER! Yesterday it was rainy, today it was 70 and clear. It was held at an old plantation about an hour out of town. It was so amazing. There were big oak trees that had limbs that hung almost to the ground. They were covered in ferns and moss! It was soooooooo awesome. The house was all decorated with period furnishings, and there were ladies with big hoop skirts all around telling about each room. Fun!

I'm making a cake for a guy at work's birthday. I'd been wanting to make a staples easy button for a long time, and didn't ever find the time or the need. I thought it would be a good way to fit in at the store, and I love to bake!

Sad the weekend is over!

why I haven't blogged in awhile.

So, I haven't blogged a lot since we moved because it will just end up with me feeling sorry for myself. I'm really lonely. I've made a few acquaintances at the Nazarene Church, but that's weird because we've been just going to the Adventist church, where I haven't found a place to meet people.

There's a woman's bible study at the Naz church, which I go to when I'm not working. The Adventist church doesn't ever have any women's group things in the bulletin. I'm struggling with the fact that JP is a big go and sit on the pew and leave kinda guy. It's about the only place I can meet people and make friends, and it's hard when we just go to worship service. I'm trying to go to Sabbath school, but I will admit to liking the sleeping in as well.

The church thing has been and will be a big thing for me. It's something that I knew would be a big deal for a long time.

So, not much is going on. We don't really do much exciting. lol!

We did go to the shooting range yesterday. I did soooo much better. Last time 1/2 of them weren't even on the paper, this time I got a bullseye and only 2 were off the paper. I was consistantly hitting in an area, not the bullseye sadly. But way better!

Soo.... since my last blog...

I realized there's a big hole here in what's really been going on in my life lol!

Just a brief story. The bakery was fun the first oh, 3-4 days I'd say. they started scheduling me alone with out to do lists, and the managers expected me to know how to do everything, and couldn't really help when I had questions. This on top of the fact that I had to drive 25 miles to this job made me seek a transfer. I put in the paperwork, and the next day, or maybe the day after a girl came up to the counter and said she was there to interview! I put in my app back at Staples when I got home. I'd been in there earlier in the week and they needed help.

The next day I came in and found that they had hired her. I knew they didn't have enough hours for both of us, and luckily Staples called. I'm working as a cashier there, and am happy. It's less than 10 miles, the people are nice, and it doesn't matter that they didn't train me cause I already knew what was going on. The super downside is we can't go home for Thanksgiving, because I gotta be there for Black Friday. I'm nervous about being a cashier, last year I just gave out the high priced things to people with receipts, and that was scary enough!

The upside to the Thanksgiving thing is, this past weekend there was a big craft fair at our community center (around the block from us) and so a lot of the neighbors had garage sales. I walked up and down the street chatting with people. I'd been a bad neighbor and think I'd talked to someone on the street like 3x in the whole 3-4 months we'd been here. Anyway, made cookies and took them next door and invited them over for dinner. They couldn't make it but asked if we got to go home for Thanksgiving. when we said no, they invited us over to their house. Seems like a lot of people on our street are transplants from other places, and won't be going home either. I'm SUPER excited to meet the neighbors, even if we may be in different stages of life. It will be good to be a part of a group eating a big meal. I was a little depressed thinking of what I was going to make for the day, knowing how well JP and I eat leftovers. Yay for community!

Happy Halloween!

We went to a fun party as a deer and a hunter. I took along a mummy cake. It was a hit! Hope you had fun too!

Bakery

So, today was day #2 of work. I got to decorate some cakes, and put out all the fresh baked bread. I'm doing good about not lusting after the sugary yummy things we sell. I was worried about that actually, as sugar is my weakness. Today, I had no problem working with the icing, and had a GREAT time! I did on the other hand really really want to bring home a loaf of bread, but we don't really eat a lot bread so I left it at the store.

I'm nervous about the next time I go in. The full time people have all moved on, (today was the last one's last day) So, now the bakery is staffed with people doing part time. Even the manager of the dept, is a temporary rotating baker. we will see how it turns out.

Tomorrow I'm going to the quilt show with my mum-in-law. She came down, cause it's the biggest show in the country I think. It's international. I'm excited! Maybe I'll remember/ be allowed to take pictures!

I got a job!

I got a call today letting me know I got a position as a bakery clerk at a grocery store. I'm pretty excited that I will get to do a little cake decorating!

I'm a little bummed that the store is 25 miles away, and it's evenings and weekends, but it's a job! Hopefully I'll be able to go to church one day. I did a little training today, and I'm going back tomorrow to do some more. yay!

So.. lately

Last weekend was our 1 year anniversary. We went to a FANCY steakhouse, and had the best steaks of our lives, and spent the nite in a great deal on a hotel (love name your own price) Saved about $80 bucks! Then we went to a gun show, and saw the toy story double feature. We had a lot of fun, and it was great to think back on the last year. A friend from church said that it would be our worst, and let's hope so! It was hard, but we both survived!

Since then I've had an informal interview, and a real interview. No idea really what they thought of me. Hoping to get a call, but still sending out my resume like it's water. Really, I send it out at a minimum of 3x a day. I've been looking since the middle of august, I've applied to A TON of jobs. Not crying, but would really like a job.

My mother-in-law will be down sometime next week to go to a HUGE quilt show. Maybe I will get to go with her if I'm still unemployed. I want to spend time with her, but I really want a job too. Wow, that's next week. Time's creeping along fast.

I've been having a GREAT time going to bible study with the ladies at the Nazarene church. Wed. mornings we meet to do a Beth Moore bible study about the Patriarchs (watch a video and discuss) but the most exciting thing the last 2 weeks is a small group of us have been going to filmings of Beth Moore's new study on Revelations. It's so awesome for lots of reasons. 1. more time with Godly women is never bad. 2. there are about 3200 women at the study on Tuesdays Wow! 3. Nothing like worshiping with that many people. 4. I'm spending time out of the house with others 5. Growing closer to God is always so exciting!

So, I'm busy mostly, but can't wait to have my mother-in-law visit for company!

You should visit me too!

So full, yet so dry

God's really been teaching me a lot lately. I'm going to Bible study and learning so much, yet still feel so alone. I know God's supposed to be that friend, but I'm finding it hard not getting hugs. I don't know why, driving home from study I started crying because I've not gotten a hug in such a long time, well other than John Paul, not to discount his hugs. I guess, I'm missing that from other people. I don't know why I'm sitting here crying.

God is so good. He's really been helping me grow in so many ways lately. Stupid Satan, when things are going good with God he gets jealous. Why is it this happens all the time, and I never think of it immediately?

Royal Icing Class

I went to a class to learn how to make royal icing flowers. I think it went pretty well. Made some pretty ones, and some not so pretty ones, but it was all in all a fun day. Now I just have to have reason to make a cake with flowers all over it! If only I could learn to post my pictures in a way that I could make the text work in the blog. O technology

I've been busy

I've been going to work out almost every day. I have 4 personal training sessions, and I've been doing water aerobics 2x a week. I started a women's Bible study at the Nazarene church, and I just signed up for a cake decorating class for this weekend.

I've had 2 interviews that didn't go so well, but I have another one on Monday.

So, I'm seeing people, not making so many friends, but I can have conversations!

Ups and downs

So I've been really up and down emotionally lately. The staying at home ALONE all day is getting to me, the applying for a zillion jobs and never hearing anything, or discovering they are a scam is getting to me and did I mention I'm lonely?

I've been making decisions to change that. I contacted the community life pastor at the Nazarene church near our home, and am going to get involved with a woman's group and participate in a class for people new to their church. I'm pretty pumped about that.

I went to the extension office and talked to a 4-H educator about volunteering so tonight I'm going to go to a county wide event and see where I fit in helping, and I've volunteered to help judge at the county fair next month. Something I'm ok at and have experience with!

I'm going to the Bally's nearby and do a gym tour. There's so many things I could say about that but I'm not. They do have an indoor pool there so that's neat. I'm bummed our neighborhood pool is closed for the season now.

The major up yesterday was I got an e-mail, written by a person, about a job I was really excited about. A place (maybe a monastery) dedicated to prayer needed an office assistant, so I eagerly applied. I felt like my unique background might help me with that. I got an e-mail back asking if I knew it was a part time job. MWF all day. I think it's perfect, I could still keep the house in order ect. So I e-mailed that I was still interested. Holding my breath on that.

Haven't heard from the caterer office job yet, and the other job I'm excited about is a luxury car dealership receptionist. All of those are things I'm pretty interested/ have some experience with. Who knows.

The best up was this morning. I'm waiting on the final confirmation, but ITT Tech sent me an e-mail to schedule an interview tommorow! It's kinda far from my house, but having an interview boosted my spirits.

I'm really hoping to find a friend soon. Susan is going to go back out to the ocean (she's a marine biologist) and she's the only girl I see regularly around here. That's been the hardest thing about moving. I'm really missing my friends, really really.

Project Day

My friend Susan came over yesterday for a project! We made cupcakes for a pool party that one of John Paul's co-workers had at his home. We had a blast making yellow polka dot bikinis, beach balls, and I experimented with making flowers. It was fun, and delicious.

The party was fun, the binary cupcake (covered with 1s and 0s) got a laugh, and John Paul took the leftovers to work today.

As an aside, I love my apron that my mother-in-law made, and my hair actually looked ok too!

ahhh!! I'm so excited

So, I've been looking for receptionist/secretary jobs for a couple of weeks. I wanted something that I would work the same time as John Paul so we could spend the most time possible together. I've been checking craigslist and a zillion of those jobsites. I found it. The job I WANT!

Office person for a catering business, where you'd help in the kitchen if they need it. It's the perfect time 7:30-2, weekdays only. It's not quite full time which is better. A few hours to do chores before JP gets home. AND it's close to the house.

I've sent my resume in with what I hope is an awesome cover letter. I'm praying so hard for this job. It sounds perfect, I just hope they call me for an interview!!

I hope my excited blogging about how excited I am about this position doesn't jinx me.

So lately, I've...

Regular days I get up, do the wii fit, and then check my e-mail hoping to hear about jobs. Never any big news, so then I go about applying. I have promised myself to send out my resume at least 3 times a day. I've done a pretty good job of it, now I'm just waiting to hear back. One of my references today said that they had been contacted, which I took to be a great sign!

After that, I was playing on the internet, and generally wasted the day. The past several weekdays have been different. I've started Christmas knitting. I've finished a few things already, I'd post pics that I'm excited about, but I'm not sure who all looks at this.

Last week I finally got brave and went into a totally unknown salon, and got my hair cut. It turned out to be a great experience. I went into a place in a kinda sketchy strip mall, but they had cool pictures in the windows of hair cuts i wouldn't mind having. I was able to set an appointment for that afternoon. I returned and had a blast talking to Abi about my hair and that I had no idea what I wanted. The picture I posted isn't really fixed pretty, but the idea was she cut off about 3 INCHES and kindof made two layers. It's cute. I just keep thinking about how much I loved the pixie cut, but can't do that because John Paul HATED it. *sighs* someday!

Today, my all day project was biroches! I made bread dough, and filled it with hamburger meat and cabbage. I had one and it turned out great. I made the kitchen a mess, but it wont' take long to clean I'm sure.

I'm thinking tommorow I'm going to make a batch of buttercream icing and do some practice. I'm going to attempt to make icing roses, and practice basketweaving with icing. I'm not going to color it or anything, so that way I can just put it all back in the bowl, and practice the next day!

Depressed

So, I'm online looking for jobs. It's really depressing. I'm finding that I have NO idea what I want to do and it stinks looking for something that I can't define. Or, I'm looking at things I'm qualified for which sound like no fun. I'm sensing myself freezing up and doing nothing about the situation which is about the worst thing I can do I'm sure.

Windsurfing

So, this weekend I went windsurfing with my husband and some of his friends from work. You might be saying to yourself you can't believe it. It sounds like something Dana would hate, and well, I did hate it. I'm not saying that I'd never do it again. Just not in the bay by Galveston. The water was so awful I gagged and.. well any way I got out of the water. Technically it was called clear lake, it was NOT clear, and attached to the bay that was attached to the ocean. I'm going to call it bay since it was most definitely salt water... icky!

On the other hand I had a great time sitting in the shade, watching my husband excel at wind surfing and loving every minute. He wants to go back with some of his office mates, and I think that's great. I'm just going to stay home in the salt and who knows what else water.

And the company's gone...

My in-laws left yesterday. We had a great time while they were here. Did A LOT of shopping, ate LOT of great food, and now they are gone, it's lonely again.

We hung a few pictures, which I was glad. I have no motivation to do it myself. The white walls don't look too bad... ok, it does look better with stuff up.

We spent almost an entire day looking for water shoes. John Paul signed us up to take wind surfing lessons, but since summer is almost over no one had any. We look at least a half dozen places before we got one of the last two pair at Walgreens of all places! The exciting part was that they fit! I had seen a few pair here and there, and they were for giants or kiddos! The best part was they were $2.70!!!

We ate at one of those Japanese places with the grills where they cook in front of you. I'd never done that before, and it was great fun!

Now that I'm 5 pounds (ish) heavier, and alone most of the day. I'm out to find the best job ever. Now, if I had some idea what that was, it would really help.

Looking at inventory jobs, cake decorating jobs, inside horticulture jobs, or receptionist/ secretary jobs. Who knows where I will end up!

My trip to the zoo

I heard the zoo was hiring a Horticulturist. I wasn't sure if I wanted to apply or not, so I thought a trip to the zoo would be in order. Its funny how fast you can see the zoo if 1. you are alone 2. you are looking at the plants more than the animals 3. if it's 100 degrees!

I did decide to not apply because it's real hot, and I want to not be exhausted so I can still do a good job of taking care of things around the house. The job hunt will begin with force after John Paul's parents finish their visit this week.

I did take a few pictures of animals, cause how could you resist. The giraffes made me think of the cell phone commercials with all the bars, and they are a cute little family. The poor little meerkats were so hot one had burrowed down in the dirt, and the other was just zonked out on his back. So cute!

My Parents Visit!

Mom and dad came down for a few days because it was Mom's vacation, and she brought dad with her. We had a great time, shopping, eating, sight seeing, and did I mention eating?

We took a little cruise on the bay down. It was so great sitting on the top deck, feeling the ocean (bay) breezes, and watching the jellyfish. We passed a boardwalk that had rides and such, I'm sure at one point in my life I would have begged to go, but that didn't happen. I must be getting old.

We toured the Bluebell Ice Cream factory. That was really neat, watching them squirt ice cream into little tubs. We were really ready for our complimentary scoop by the end. We all tried Nutty chocolate, which was chocolate with many different types of nuts in it, some of which were chocolate covered. It was really good.

In the same town as the factory, we did a bit of antiquing but the best part of the day was stopping in a little soda shop for something cold because it was HOT outside. I got another scoop of ice cream (yes, I ate a lot of ice cream, but it was the birthplace of Bluebell so I thought it fitting) I had the BEST ICE CREAM I'VE EVER EATEN! Southern Blackberry cobbler!!! Vanilla with swirls of blackberry goop and pie crust chunks. OMG!! We looked for it at every grocery store, when I finally found it almost a week later at wal-greens I did a little dance in the aisle, and tried to get everyone in line and the checker to go buy a carton and try it. (did I mention I had to dig through the freezer to find it? It was behind several cartons of cookies and creme lol)

Mostly, after that we did a lot of shopping and hung out at the house. Dad was such a good sport shopping. Wish I'd snapped his picture while sitting outside on the benches with the bags.

I'm sad they are gone. The house is so big and empty during the day, but I guess that will get fixed this afternoon. John Paul's parents will be coming in for a few days too!

Our house!!

house update

almost all the boxes are unpacked, but there's still lots of stuff setting around everywhere. Hopefully next week it'll be ready to have pictures taken. the house is huge, and even with ALL our stuff in it it still looks huge. I'm going to have to start garage saleing for furniture!

We got keys!!

So these are obviously not the best pictures of the house, but my camera decided to eat the good ones. So, we ended up with pics of the garage storage and the entry way, but hey, this is it!!

We will move the lil bit of stuff out of the extended stay tomorrow, and the trailer will come down with the bulk of our stuff next week. I can't wait! It's so exciting to have a PLACE of our own!!!

When we get internet at our new place I'll put up pics! Please be patient, don't know when that will happen.

House!!

so, today we signed a lease, and paid our deposit on a house!!! hopefully we'll be getting the keys tonight or tomorrow!!

Birthday!!

This year i got the best birthday present ever! (imagine the price is right as you read the next line, I so hear it in my head that way lol) A new car! Well, not brand new, but really close. 2007! and not a car, but a pickup!

It has all the bells and whistles I wanted, and some I'm just excited about. There's a plug in the bed, so John Paul can plug in power tools. There's all sorts of cubby holes all over it to stash stuff. There's 13 cup/bottle holders. Not that I would ever need that many, but hey, the Porsche didn't have one! It's got the digital thermometer and compass in the roof, and the back seat is HUGE!

Driving down to Houston all my stuff fit in the cab. (not like permanent move, like clothes and stuff) I got 23 mp on the trip down too!!

Belated father's day

My Dad! First I gotta say sorry, for the delay, but I thought the pictures would add a lot.

Dad taught me a lot about life. Honesty, integrity, hard work ethic, and above all a love for the Lord. He can tell good jokes and stories, and he's distilled his wisdom down into many little sayings. A few of those sayings include: The only things that work are time and consistency. If you're not moving forward, you're moving backward, there's no such thing as standing still.

It's funny. I know he has tons of sayings, but I can only think of those 2. Not that the others aren't good lol.

I admire dad's wisdom. It seems that no matter what situation I find myself in, he can always help out. The amazing thing isn't that he tells me what to do, as much as he helps me think it through, so I come to the answer. That's something lately that I've really noticed. In all the big decisions I've made over the past several years he's never really said do this or that, instead he asks what I'm thinking over, and asks questions that help lead me to an answer.

I'm truely a blessed daughter to have such a good daddy!

Houston, we've parked

I would say landed, but that would imply that we have a place. As it is, we are in an extended stay. Not super excited about that, but I am excited to meet with the realtor again tomorrow. Until then I'm planning on catching up on the TONS of blogging I didn't do over our "bumming" month at home. Since I didn't wanna download my camera software on my in-laws computer, I decided to wait to do a lot of my posts until I could put up the appropriate pictures. So, that's where we are. In limbo, desperately wanting to find a home to land in!

No place to call home

So, we found out yesterday our #1 choice wasn't on the market. The landlord decided to sell instead of lease arg! So the #2 house became #1, and the realtor called today, and said that someone beat us to it, so. Back to square one. The other 10 places we looked at on our trip down there were nos.

That means moving into the extended stay, and my job will be to find us a place to live, while John Paul's job is to actually go to work. Yay limbo! *deep breaths* the perfect house is out there and we didn't see it when we visited last week. Just gotta focus on not freaking out now lol!

Houston...

So, this week we flew down to Houston to find a place to live. Tuesday we looked at 12 houses, and were totally bushed. Got up and signed a lease on one and then had a whole day to drive around. So, we checked out the area where we'd be living, and ended up getting to the airport HOURS early, for lack of anything better to do. We were thinking to ourselves what a successful trip it'd been when as we were going through security the realtor called.

The house we wanted to move into at the end of June wouldn't be available until the beginning of August. So we went back and forth and tried to decide if staying in temporary housing for a month would be better than just moving in to another house. After realizing that the next house we liked was 3x farther away from work, we took the top choice and looked for temp housing.

So, be praying for us. We're going to move into an extended stay hotel for a month, before we get to move into our place. Just when I thought we'd be getting our own place, another month of limbo. O well, the house we are moving into will be great!

Bummin it

I need to put up some vacation pictures I know. It's been an exciting month though. Right after vacation we spent a few days packing boxes, came home for a family reunion/ 80th birthday celebration for John Paul's Grandparents. His family was in town until after Memorial day. We've been staying at his parents house, and spending time with everyone. The last of the fam left Friday. I've been keeping busy visiting, cleaning my old room (weird!), and helping out around the in-law's house.

I finally got in contact with a realtor, and we are planning to go down and find a house in a week or 2. All our stuff is in dad's trailer in Ganny's garage, just waiting to make the move! It'll be awhile. We are planning the last weekend in June, which means my birthday will be spent with a buncha boxes, but it will also bring promise of adventure and hopefully a time of settling. We've been knowing we'd move for a long time. I'm looking forward to a time to just be!!

He did it!!

Congratulations!

He graduated! His family came up and we had a great weekend hanging out and eating!

Tomorrow we leave for vacation, then moving! Time is just moving so fast!

Vacation

We finally decided/booked a vacation. Lake Tahoe! Not the gambling part, but the enjoying nature part.

It fits the bill of some place we both haven't been before, it had great deals (since people gamble there, o well), and it's a chill place to be!

I'm so excited!

10 more days of working, then graduation, vacation, packing, moving, and on with real life again!

TEA'd off

Today, I went to a TEA party. I've been to a few planning meetings for it, and I helped pass out fliers and clean up afterward. I got so sunburned, but at least it wasn't raining.

What's a TEA party you ask? The TEA party movement is spawned from the idea that we are Taxed Enough Already. Myself and the approximately 3,000 other people at our party are tired of the government spending TRILLIONS of dollars we don't have, not reading bills before signing them, and mainly forgetting they they are there to REPRESENT the people. Not their own agendas or personal interests.

John Paul think's I'm crazy, yet he's upset at how much of his paycheck was TAKEN from him each time he received one. I want to be a part of the movement to remind the people in Washington why they are there. I want to create some "Change" back in the direction that our forefathers had in mind. A country where God was important, where hard work was rewarded, and capitalism was the way to go.

Our country is "arrogant", or so says our president. Our forefathers fought hard for the freedoms we enjoy, and I'm ready to step up and do my part to make sure we get to continue to enjoy the American way of life. If we aren't careful the liberal folks in Washington will try to make us into a Socialist country.

The thing that amazed me today was the number of kids there were at the park. The rally was from 12-1. I heard several parents say they took their kids out of school so they could be at the event, and there were a lot of home school'ers there too.

You may think I'm crazy, but I don't care. If nothing else, enjoy the the pictures of the protest signs. There were some great ones!

Free/ Discounted stuff for tax day

http://finance.yahoo.com/taxes/article/106922/Deals-That-Offer-Some-Tax-Day-Relief

Free ice cream and cinnamon rolls? I'm there!

Easter

This Easter season was probably the weirdest in years. I don't think it was really talked about at church, since most of the cool stuff happens on Sunday. I missed the little kids with the palm branches. I missed Easter Sunday getting to church early for a big breakfast, and decorating the cross on the lawn with flowers.

I love John Paul, and as I'm learning I think that the Seventh Day Adventist Church has the right idea in a lot of things. Right now I'm just missing fellowship. I'm missing that feeling like being part of a family.

Each church has different cultures I know. It's just a hard transition. Fellowship was always a favorite part of mine. To go to a denomination that isn't as good at it's hard. O well

I did have a great time talking with my mom on Easter Sunday. She didn't feel well so I went to visit her while dad was at church. It was nice to have some time just the two of us.

Ganny put on a great meal at her house. The kids table is still fun. John Paul, Roger and I have a great time laughing at the "adult" table.

"The Group" had a get together Friday night. It was a great time. It's always fun to get together with them. We played a lot of Guitar Hero (or some similar game) with all the band members. Jay, the host, had created a rock star who looked like Mr. Stephens (the math teacher from high school) It was sooooooo funny everytime we got a glimpse of him!

I think the highlight of the weekend for me might have been Saturday afternoon. John Paul got a new gun at the gun show the weekend before, and was antsy to shoot, so we went out with his dad for some target practice. Not only was my gun easier for me to physically shoot, but I was also a pretty good shot. We had a roughly humanoid size tree trunk, with a lil orange target roughly where the heart was. I didn't hit the orange target, but if it'da been a real guy, he wouldn't be walking out of the house with our TV! (that's the goal)

-Just an aside, I'm not going to do anything exciting with my hair. I figured blah boring might be better than icky mistake!

Changes

So, I've been stressing out about moving for months now, and though it's hard, I can't make a plan. Not knowing where we are going, and exactly when we will have to be there makes it hard to make a plan. So, here I am letting go of the worry. (I am starting to collect paper boxes from work though)

With the release of stress about that, I've decided to make some other changes. John Paul requested that I grow my hair out and stop dyeing it, so for the past 2ish years, I've gotten just barely trims and let it revert back to what I used to think was blah brown, but I've come to realize I do have a lil bit of natural highlight. I secretly want to go back to the pixie cut, because I mean, a dot of shampoo, then a dab of gel and you're done... but that's a no go, so...

The other day a real cute gal came in with a big poster board she needed laminated. I sent her over to the copy center. I noticed she was over there a little while later, and that her sign said $10 off perms. That got me thinking about getting a body wave. Something to give my fine thin hair a lil volume. I tried this about 3 years ago, and got the 80's fro perm. I know now they need to use BIG rollers. John Paul thinks it would be nice. When I wanna do something sweet for him I sleep in foam rollers to make my hair curly. He REALLY likes that, so I don't have to worry about him liking it. I'm just worried about if I will like it really.

I know I don't want that look again. Just when I decided to not worry about something else!

I'm thinking about taking these pictures in. What I don't want and what I'm thinking about. What do you think?