A day Ill never forget.. October 30th 2004

Ill never forget the huge sacrifice that was made on this cold October day. I was sitting watching TV when I got the call from my brother.. That our good friend Andrew Reidel was killed in action in Iraq.. It didnt really hit me till we were all (and by all I mean most of Northglenn High School) sitting in that Church all faces soaked with tears.. He was such a tall guy and very funny.. I have very few memories as though the small ones have seemed to fade but the important ones have stuck in my mind pasted there with the glue his smile brought. I remember one night Tony Chad Andrew and the rest of the crew and myself were at the Ranch Roofs (a place where we would climb on the rooftop of this building and we would sit there and drink and watch the cars pass on 120th) This piticualr night the cops were called (could have been the fact that there was about 10 of us up there) and we had to book it off the back part.. we didnt really know how we were going to get down with out getting hurt but there was Andrew the only one tall enough to stay there and help all of us short people down and book it across the field.. I should have know then that he was meant for what he did. To help people. He is forever in my heart along with a bunch of us.. Its hard to believe its been 5 years, it seems like just yesterday. Thanks for what you did my friend.. A true hero indeed.

Wordless Wednesday

Not me Monday

This week I did Not secretly wish that I would either A: Get really sick or B: wreck my car so that I didn't have to go to work at least once this week. No way Not me I totally LOVE my job. Or This week I did not tell my boss that I was trying really hard to sell our new promo even though I didn't ask a single person, no way I always try very hard at work. And I surely did not wish that one of our shift leads at work got really sick so she wouldn't come to work the next day, no way I LOVE everyone I work with. And I did not wish that my best friends baby shower was next week instead of this Friday because I'd rather go down to my sisters, no way I am ALWAYS there for my friends, Always. And I most defiantly did not sleep through my alarm on Sunday and miss church, no way I ALWAYS wake up to my alarms. And I did not spend 3 hours searching the internet for the perfect Halloween costume only to discover its going to cost me an arm and a leg. No way I have more important things to do like clean up my room (even though I have not been avoiding to do so in over a month) And I did not spend my entire day off on wednesday on the computer looking at blogs, no way I mean like I said I have better things to do. And I did not sleep till noon on Saturday instead of getting up and driving 2 hours to see my sister, no way I'm up by 8 am every day. Man its tough being PERFECT every week...


This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. Come on, it's like free therapy

Dear Dater, (sent in dating stories from sisters like you!)

This was sent via Email from a fellow dater. We'll call her "BC". Enjoy :)

Struggling to comprehend the priest's words, I stood at the altar with sweaty palms and desperately clutched a fragrant bouquet. As I waited to state my vows, I flipped through my mind’s Rolodex searching for former boyfriends that could have potentially been standing next to me.
First, there was the "Let me check with my mom first" boyfriend. This guy would not venture anything without mommy's permission. Craig was an only child and was indulged by his doting, stay-at-home mother. His father was rarely around as his highly-paid job kept him busy trotting around the globe.
Every semester at State College, Craig changed his mind as well as his major. Being a professional student didn't pay but, rather, enabled him to continue mooching off his parents. Consequently, we ate at nice restaurants, caught the latest movies, and frequented the trendiest dance clubs. The funds came compliments of mommy's American Express card. The only catch was that he obtain her approval before charging anything. This way, mommy was able to keep close tabs on our whereabouts at all times.
Craig presented me with my first engagement ring: a beautiful diamond solitaire. He claimed he had purchased it earlier as an investment. I silently surmised that the “investment” most likely came in the form of a prior girlfriend who gave him the boot.
Although bestowed with a ring, Craig hesitated to set a wedding date or tell his family we were engaged. Eventually he followed his parents and their money when they moved to a different state. I gladly returned Craig’s “investment.”
Secondly there was the "I’m too busy for you" boyfriend. This guy’s workday was longer than Bill Clinton’s list of illicit liaisons. When the job was completed for the day, it was either paperwork that night or out for brewskis with the boys.
I, his girlfriend, appeared to be superfluous in his life. On the rare occasions when he would make an official date with me, I would brainlessly wait for him thinking, “he’ll show up any minute." When I began smelling perfume other than my own on his pillows, I gracefully bowed out of the competition.
Third came the "You must be up to something like I am" boyfriend. This guy was so busy scheming his next affair that he erroneously assumed my conduct was as disgraceful as his. This piece-of-work decided to slap an engagement ring on my left hand in hopes it would double as a chastity belt.
But the guiltier he was of indiscretions, the more he imagined I was doing the same. He then plunked the wedding band on top of the engagement ring, sans any official marital ceremony, while his left hand stayed jewelry-free.
When I discovered his trysts, I returned the rings and advised him, “tell the next sucker you give these to that they were an investment!”
Following was the "I've suffered a tragedy in my life and am therefore allowed to wallow in self-pity and be self-destructive" boyfriend. This guy’s first priority in life was drugs. He found me quite suitable since 1) I had my own place, and 2) I didn't partake in illegal substances. This way he didn’t have to be concerned with a rent payment and could spend what little cash he had on an expensive drug habit without the added worry that I might pilfer his stash.
I foolishly supported this bum because I felt sorry for the tragedy he had endured. And since he had my pity, he felt justified in sponging off me. I didn't fully grasp how absorbent he had become until after he was gone and I discovered he had supplemented his habit by hawking my watch and two cameras.
And let us not forget the "I'm too stingy with my money so we'll just spend yours" boyfriend. This guy was so tight that if you shoved a lump of coal up his derriere, a precious gem would emerge the following week.
"Stingy" had a good job working full time as a county sheriff's deputy, but the car he drove screamed "part-time Taco Bell lackey." Before long, he began spending the night on several occasions. When he started hanging his clothes in the closet and leaving a razor and toothbrush in the bathroom sink drawer, I approached him about moving in with me and sharing expenses. Surprise! He declined. But the real surprise was when after he rejected my offer more clothes were in the closet and more toiletries in the bathroom. Hmmm.
Fortunately for me, summer arrived. It was the time of year his mother made her annual trek from her city apartment to her home in the mountains. Deputy Dawg, no longer needing my domicile, quickly packed his things and moved in to mom's temporarily-vacated (and rent-free) apartment. But come September, Deputy Dawg was back a-knockin' at my door. Only I wasn't a-answerin'!
Last, but not least, was the "I'm separated but cheating on you with my wife" boyfriend. This man had left his wife after discovering she had been sleeping with another man. However, in his tale of woe, he neglected to mention that she was getting even with him for all the times he had cheated on her. He moved in with me ("only temporarily until [his] wife moves out of the house"), and I listened as he tearfully recounted his trials and tribulations.
Occasionally, I would wake in the middle of the night to find he hadn't come home. He would call the next day to apologize and claim he had fallen asleep on his mother's lazy-boy chair after drinking too much beer. It was later revealed that these were the nights he went back to his wife.
I soon grew bored with this routine and met my future husband at work. When I told "beer boy" to take a hike, the first phone call he made was to his estranged wife. He sobbed as he told her that if he had hurt her as much as I had hurt him, then he was terribly sorry. Regrettably, this conversation happened simultaneously with his fist violently puncturing my kitchen wall.
The memories of these so-called boyfriends sent macabre chills down my spine and my body shuddered. Trying to shake it off, I drew in a deep breath.
As I slowly exhaled, I realized that these boyfriends did serve a worthy, if not desirable, purpose. They were the steps necessary to teach me who and what I could live with and without. This way, when Mr. Right entered into my life, I recognized him just that much easier.
My attention focused back to the ceremony, and I turned to gaze into my betrothed’s eyes. I breathed easier, and a contented smile crossed my lips.
"I do."

Sassy Shoe Thursday

I saw this on a Lady from church's blog. :)
I love these shoes. they were on sale at Charlotte Russe for $10!

however, they are the most uncomfortable shoes I've EVER worn..

Ive maybe worn them twice.. if you look real close you can see a few scoffs on the heel and that was more then likely when I fell over and almost broke my ankle..

Talking Thursday

I thought Id take a moment to explain my wordless Wednesday. This is my bestest (and most favorite) nephew, (alright and my only) He is probably the best little man in my life and hes such a hoot! Hes learning how to finally put his words together and form sentences and hes is just so cute! And so far, he never lets me down, he never blows me off on a dinner date and he sure doesnt try any moves besides for maybe sneaking some candy, (does it count as sneaking if Im the one sneaking it to him?) Hes got the best mommy and daddy so he is always happy. AND he lets ME rock him to sleep for nap time and I get to sing my favorite song to him. I just tear up every time I get to sit there and watch him fall into a sweet somber.. What a great Joy this little man has brought to my life.. Hes sure worth living for. :)

Wordless Wednesday (going out of the norm today)