I'm a slacker basically

So here's the thing. I don't keep up with things like I should. For example, I lose my keys daily. On several instances I have left my phone on top of my car and then drove off with it still on the car (it has survived everytime btw). I also don't keep up with this blog. I really thought when I starte dit that I would keep up with it, make a post at least weekly, keep everyone updated with all of the things happening this year, etc. EPIC FAIL! So here is my attempt to re-start this blog. I'm sure it'll last about a month... or a day. We'll see :)

Ok it's been awhile...

I am a teacher! I did get a job at the last, and I mean last minute! I was hired on a Wednesday night. School started the following Monday. Yeah, that was stressful, but I am very blessed to have the job. I am teaching a 2/3 split class at Plano. I love it. I have great teammembers and a group of wonderful loving kids. They really mke me smile on days when I don't want to (and sometimes make me want to NOT SMILE on other days!). I love my job and, although it is stressful at times, I wouldn't change it. I had a really hard time in the beginning, wondering if I had made the right career choice, but as the year progresses I feel more and more like I'm doing what I need to do.

Also, I just got news from my principal that I am going to be flying with her and two other educators to Texas for a conference! We are going to learn about a new behavioral program to implement in our classrooms and then schoolwide next year. I am very excited about this experience, and excited to get back to Texas... even if it's just for a conference!

School consumes the majority of my life, but I've also got some other pretty big things going on like WEDDING PLANNING! We are going full speed with wedding planning, and I'm getting more and more excited about marrying my best friend! We've booked our honeymoon, we've got the church, an amazing photographer (thanks to Ronnie and Kelly!), and I've got my dress! I've also got hte best support group a bride-to-be could ask for! I can't express how much I appreciate everything everyone has done for us!

As part of the wedding planning, P90X is back and dieting. BLAHHHHHHHH. I don't mind the workouts as much, but I love food! So we'll see how long this last!

The Engagement

As all of my friends and family know, I am engaged! I couldn't be happier either! I told a little about the engagement, but here are all of the details.
For our 2 year anniversary Daniel and I decided to save money by making each other coupon books. In the coupon book I made for him there was a coupon for a picnic. About a week ago he asked if he could use that coupon. I said sure and thought nothing of it. He had originally wanted to have the picnic on Saturday, but our Saturday was quickly filled with other events so we decided Friday would be better.
Friday morning I got to Daniel’s and did some hard core cleaning. I wasn’t really feeling like cooking anything so we decided we would just get some food from Wal-Mart before we went on our picnic. So I knew I didn’t have to plan any fancy meal, but I tried to be romantic and attempted to make chocolate covered strawberries. Well I burnt all but a little of the chocolate so we used what chocolate we had and made a few chocolate strawberries. They were really good so we ate them before we ever made it to the picnic.
Once we got the food from Wal-Mart (classy, right?! Well, one thing we like to do as a couple is to save money) we headed to the park. The park we had our picnic at is the place where we first met back in 2006. Daniel and I played, and still play, on a co-ed volleyball team there. So the place is very significant to our relationship. However, we go there all the time and its right by his house so I still wasn’t picking up on what was happening.
We got to the open field area and began eating our meal. We got to watch a few guys attempt to play basketball and another group playing soccer. It was really relaxing just sitting there and enjoying the day. After sitting there for awhile, Daniel told me he had a gift for me. He pulled out a binder that said “Happy 25 Month Anniversary”. Inside the binder he listed 25 reasons why he loves me. On the next to last page he mentioned how I liked to keep things significant to me and how he hoped I would keep this binder forever to remember how much he loves me and… (I turned to the next page which said, “as a reminder of the night I asked you to marry me!”. I was shocked. Daniel then got on one knee and pulled out a box. I couldn’t believe it and actually hid my face! I didn’t know what to do! He then asked me to marry him as he held open the box with a beautiful ring inside it. My response to his question was, “Can I have that?!” And he laughed and said “You have to say ‘yes’ first!”. I said YES! It was the sweetest thing and so original! I looked at the ring for awhile and Daniel got up and asked a stranger to take our picture. We took several more pictures after that. It was so surreal.
When I got settled down as much as I could he asked if I was going to call everyone. I had told him I wanted to call my closest family and friends before we posted on Facebook. So I called my sister. No Answer. I called my mom’s house. My Pa picked up and I told him, but my mom wasn’t there. I called Ronnie and Kelly and they picked up! Hooray! Someone answered! After I talked to them I tried calling several more people. It was actually really frustrating because only my brother had answered. I wanted to tell the world and no one would answer. I guess that’s what happens on a Friday night. By the end of the night I had talked to almost everyone that I wanted to personally call. That night we posted it one Facebook, which made it officially official lol.
With all the excitement and shock I don’t think it really hit me until Sunday morning. We were at his parents house that morning and I was in my room. He came in there to talk to me before we started getting ready to leave. We were talking about telling people and everything. We sat there for a few minutes in silence just thinking about things. Then he said he had to get up because he needed to go pray. That’s the man I get to spend my life with! He is truly great and I am so fortunate to have a man in my life like that. After he left a song came to my mind and I thought of him and how blessed I was. I started weeping, but they were tears of complete joy. It’s funny you go through life searching for that one person you want to spend your life with, and out of nowhere God puts that person in your life. It is truly amazing, and at that point it hit me and I cried like a little baby.
Since Friday night I haven’t slept much thinking about things and taking it all in. It’s all very exciting! We’ve got SO much to plan, but I’m looking forward to it! I’ll keep you all up to date on plans as we make them!
Also, I want to say thank you to all the friends and family who have offered sweet words of congratulations to Daniel and I. We are very thankful for all of you all!

Wild Animals as Pets

Right now I am slightly aggravated. I signed on to AIM and aol welcome page popped open on my computer screen. I usally pay no attention to the ads and news on pages like this, but today one caught my attention. On the page was a picture with a woman a bonnet on. The bonnet had a scarf attached to it which covered up a woman's face. The title above the picture was "Charla Nash Speaks on Chimp Owners Death". So curious me keeps reading and I find out that the woman with her face covered had been attacked by a PET chimpanzee.
Read the article here.

If you don't want to read it, let me sum it up for you. Some crazy woman has this pet chimpanzee. The chimp goes crazy one day. The owner asks her friend to help calm the chimp down. The chimp tears off the friends nose, lips, eyes, arms, etc. The police shoot and kill the chimp. And the article is about the chimps owner recently dying from an aortic aneurysm, and asking Charlotte Nash (the 'friend' who was mauled by the chimp) how she felt. Charlotte Nash was sad to hear the news.

Ok, now for my thoughts. Having a WILD animal as a pet is WRONG. How stupid?! Yeah the chimp was trained, and it brushed it's teeth, and played on the computer. Congratulations. The animal is still an animal and a naturally WILD animal at that. I don't consider myself an animal obsessor, but I don't hate animals either. I hate the idea of people taking in wild animals and training them to be humans. One of the picture comments in the artcile showed the chief of police talking to the press and it said that there was 'no idication of what provoked this behavior at all'. Really?! You have no idea what provoked this behavior?! How about the simple fact that this animal was meant to live in the wild and its an ANIMAL?! It viciously attacked the woman and people are feeling sorry for the woman and her chimp? I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it.

Oh, and to add to the craziness of the owner, she 'cuddled' in bed with the chimp, the chimp brushed her hair every night, shared wine with her, and she even took baths with the animal. I'll quit with this now as I suddenly feel like I am going to vomit.

A college grad with nothing to do

So this blogging thing is new to me, but I figure I need to be doing something this summer, so why not blog?! I graduated from Western Kentucky University just a few weeks ago. I thought that graduation would bring a sense of peace, but I was wrong. Sure it's nice knowing I have a degree, but I think it's more stressful not having a job. People ask me almost daily if I've found a job and daily I have to tell them "no". It's very stressful, but I figure a job will come and until then I should stop worrying and just enjoy my time off.
I haven't done much since graduation. I still work at the gym occasionally, but for the must part I have no obligations. I have been able to get things done around the house. I campaigned for Jeff Cooke as people headed to vote in the primaries. I've been able to enjoy lunch with friends I haven't seen in way too long. I was able to see Ronnie, Kelly, Ella, and Kendall this past Sunday. I've been able to do a lot of things I was too busy to do before, and I've enjoyed it so much!
Soon I will begin babysitting Jamie. Jamie is Daniel's cousin and he is a hoot! I was his babysitter last year and I enjoyed my time with him. I'm really excited about watching him again this summer. I'll be sure to post all his funny stories on here, so stay tuned!