Amanda's Big Day Part I

Hello blogosphere! 

I'm up, showered, dressed and lotioned at 7:30 in the morning...must be something exciting happening today.  You guessed it...Amanda's Wedding!!!

After getting less than 5 hours of sleep on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (3 hours), and Friday nights, I finally got about 7 hours last night!! I feel refreshed and ALIVE!! I am so excited to be a part of this day and grand celebration.  If anyone can last a lifetime it's these two love birds.  They are simply beautiful people who have decided to love this world, their Creator and each other through the bountiful days ahead.

Be on the lookout for pictures from the Bachelorette Party (Thursday), Rehearsal Dinner (Friday) and of course, the wedding!

Tick Tock..

As we are nearing August...we are also nearing the point where my life becomes CRAZY.  Every week in August something is happening that is out of the ordinary.  It starts with the end of July of course, which obviously means that AMANDA IS GETTING MARRIED IN THREE DAYS.

The first week: Working lots and lots.  Working on the weekend too.  More working.  My family will be on the boat.  I'm bitter.

Second week:  Working lots and lots.  Doctor's appointments.  More working.  Spending the night and working.

Third week: Working some more.  More working.  Finally going back down to the boat that weekend.  Wanna come? LMK.

Fourth week: Orientation meetings start.  More working.  PET scan.  Work. Boat that weekend.

Fifth week:  Orientation all week.  Doulaing.  Working.  Oh and working.  Then the boat for 6 days.  Hallelujah.  Then I come home and start school. boo.


I'm tired now.

Weekend Reunion

When people ask me where I am from, I have a pretty difficult time responding.  Though I was born in Ohio, I lived there for less than 2 years.  Though I live in Michigan now, it really doesn't feel like "home".  Though Kentucky is the place I feel most at home...I've never lived there. 

My childhood memories all come from one place though...Connersville, IN.  We lived there for about 8 years, and loved it so much.  It's a TINY town where everyone knows everyone and kids are allowed to play in the streets.  While we were there, my mom had my sister and I in a playgroup with several other families.  They shared babysitting coupons (best idea ever...free babysitting in a large group...always a sitter!) and we went to the pool together and many of us took swim and dance together. 

Close in the 90s, I hadn't seen these ladies in over a decade!  We met in Indianapolis this weekend and had the best time ever.  We went to dinner after giggling and drinking wine in the hotel, and went to Howl at the Moon and the Wild Beaver after dinner.  It was such great fun and am looking forward to next years get together!!!

 Dinner at Buca di Beppo.  It was quite the experience.  From leaving with swamp butt, and having cranky waitresses afraid of hot plates... it was an interesting experience for sure. 

 Some of the hottt mamas.

HOTTT

I love summer. I really do.  And I love when it's hot.  Today, I have been experiencing temperatures of 97+ in Southeast MI.  You heard me...MICHIGAN is experiencing near triple digit weather.  The heat indices are around 110 degrees...it's nuts!

It is rather beautiful though! I just wish I was on a boat on a lake somewhere enjoying it...instead of inside escaping it! (To my defense it really messes with my allergies and asthma...the humidity is also nuts).  I enjoyed it yesterday, though, at the pool all afternoon before spending precious time with the best baby around!

Just a 3 Benadryl Kinda Day

By now you know that I suffer from migraines, asthma, stomach issues and allergies.  Oh the joys.  This summer has been the WORST summer for allergies in my life...and when I say that I sincerely mean that Summer #22 is by far the worst experienced.

I've been surviving by taking benadryl in the morning and at night, and by not sleeping well and people thinking i'm always sick. 

Do you have allergies? How have they compared to previous years?

Weekend of Sunshine

Remember my post about my summer plans? Well I am starting to FINALLY cross some things off of that list of mine :)

I have been to the houseboat for Memorial Day, some random weekends like Father's Day and also for the 4th of July.  I'll be going down the last two weekends of July and for 5 days over Labor Day and for 2 or 3 weekends in September (It's Kentucky, so the water is still 75+ in September).

Houseboat means that I have of course been down the slide dozens of times.  It's so fun.  Make sure it's on your bucket list.


I went to cedar point on Sunday (look for forthcoming pictures)! Woot!  I went with Brittany, Zach and his friend Michael.  It was lots of fun, crazy crazy hot and totally worth the exhaustion and soreness I've experienced today!

I am crazy crazy tan right now...and am anxiously awaiting Amanda's wedding taking place in 2 weeks :) :)

Still on the list: Zoo, Tigers, Concert, Skiing

100th POST!

Vacation is a given on 4th of July weekend in my family.  For the past 15 years (though we missed 2 years within there) we have been on Lake Cumberland for the 4th.  Actually that's not entirely true.  When we lived out of the country our vacation to the lake didn't always fall on the 4th, but it did if we could make that possible.

Lake Cumberland is the place I feel most at "home".  Since I don't have a hometown or a sense of belonging to any particular place I've lived, Cumberland is it.  It's the place where my family gets along the best, relaxes the most and where life makes the most sense.  It's a no makeup, no shower, just goin along in my swim suit and occasionally a cover up kinda life.  And it's my favorite kinda living.

Swimming with Scarlet! She's soo cute!

Just hanging out on the water with Britt and her pup!

 

Baby brother and I going out to wake board and ski.  I think this was the night we both face planted.  That was fun...

Yellow Ribbon

Being in a small community instead of a college town means that I now notice random things and do not immediately dismiss them as college nonsense.  I have been noticing yellow ribbons tied on people's trees lately...and wasn't quite sure what it was all about.  I suspected that it had something to do with the military, maybe a ribbon per person you know serving? 

Well I wikipedia.com'd it today and it turns out I was kind of right!  Turns out that they were used initially to symbol to those coming home from war (or prison actually) that they are welcomed home by their women (predominantly in the 70s).  If there was no yellow ribbon, the men knew to stay on the bus and not go home. 

Do you have any yellow ribbons?  Just last week my cousin who just graduated from high school enlisted in the marines.  Being the pacifist and anti-violence person I am the military is such a conflicting institution for me.  While I believe it can create incredible character in people, I worry about the methods used to create said character.  What are we communicating when teaching 18 year olds to hit or shoot when not given the answer they want?  Nonetheless I am very excited for him and truly believe it could be a door opening move for him.  Not sure what he'll be doing in the marines...but I'll keep you posted about any potential need for a yellow ribbon.

Sangria

My madre found this amazing recipe for sangria a couple months ago before a bridal shower I hosted.  We served it there, at my graduation party and again over the fourth on the houseboat.  It's to die for.

Ingredients:
2 bottles of sierra mist all natural
2 bottles of chardonnay
several shots of Cointreau (any orange liquor)
Lemon juice
grapes, pears, apples

It'll knock the socks off of some, most.  I don't mind drinking it in the sun either because of how refreshing it is...I SO recommend it!