~As of yesterday I am an Aunt Berfy B. ....again. My husbands brother (Curt) and his wife (Tash) had their third child. Little Danika Raylee, named after my husband (well kinda). At least they got the Ray part right. Maybe Ray and I should get to work on our own ... hmmm? We need an Alexis Rae (Lexie) or a Damon Jacob (DJ) *scratches head* LOLOL.... Nah not just yet. But we have had "the talk" and ... it wont be long :).
~I'm tired. Gawd am I tired. I love my new job, but boy... sometimes I just pass out when I get home from work. Not to mention I feel like I don't get time off ... like actual day's to call in or ask off until like FOREVER from now. My friendships are suffering like heck...unfortunately, but I gotta make some money ... ugh.

I have a new career! Wednesday I received a phone call from the Human Resources director at the OfficeMax Distribution Center in McCalla. She wanted to offer me a job in one of their departments as a shipping clerk. I'm really really excited! For once I'm not a gopher at a real estate company! I'll finally have a job description and my own desk. Did I mention that it pays REALLY well? That's great news ... but the even BETTER news is that I'll be working from 6am to 3:30pm. I'll actually get home in time to see my husband before he leaves for work. Although it's not exactly the job I want to keep the rest of my life, I really excited about the opportunity for advancement. They have so many offices there and a human resources department that I'd LOVE to be apart of some day :) Anyway, I go Monday to fill out paperwork, get oriented with the place, and have my badge made so I can get in and out of the office. I can't wait to start. Every since Ray and I have been married, I have been in school and haven't been able to work full time. Finally we might be able to buy some things we want!

~I love being a country girl:). Friday we had a memorial weekend/my father-in-law's birthday celebration at the river. It's nice to be able to relax with family and friends. Ray and I got to Akron around 5:30pm and there's nothing like stepping out of the car to the smell of TWELVE slabs of ribs cooking on the grill (Thank you grill-master's Ron and Eric!) Once we made it around back we were met by Ray's parents, Ron & Glenda, my brother & sister in law, nephews, Eric and Ashley, and last but not least ... Forest (a big balck lab). Why am I telling you this? Anyway ... we had a really good time. There's nothing like fishing on the river as the sun is going down. (Even if I did have to settle for the spongebob squarepants child size fishing pole.) Look where you're a true fisher-woman you'll do anything to fish! After fishing, a game of darts was in order. Although I've found that darts really arent my strong point. But anyway ..once the ribs were done, we pigged out and then ate birthday cake. (It was my father-in-law's big 50th...) Of course as the night wore on and the fellas broke out the whiskey and the guitars ... we lit a camp fire in the back yard and had a sing along. It's so much fun to sit around and sing cuntry songs with other people who dont know all the words either or who are too drunk to remember them ;).

~ Saturday night was Pro-Modified night at the drag strip. Those of you know know my husband know that there was no way we were missing that. So Ray and I and Chris and Jessica made our way to Applebees for dinner and then it was on to Holiday Raceway. There were several really nice cars there ... only I couldnt tell you a whole lot about it. Us girls were having too much fun catching up on the gossip! There's two things I knew when I got married: 1. You dont miss the drag races...and 2. You never ever under any circumstances miss an Alabama football game! Like I said .. I love being a country girl!

So I'm voting for Taylor... buy man Elliot hurt my heart when he cried tonight. He loves his mom. Boys who get emotional over their moms hurt my heart.

Not to mention he looks slightly like an ex of mine. LOL... wierd resemblance.

SO... this big girl job hunting is no where near as easy as I'd imagined it would be. Of course I guess everyone finds that out in their own time. I'm trying real hard to remember to enjoy the adventure, also remembering that the sooner I let go of my old cheese, the sooner I get to experience new cheese. Long story. Just believe me.

P.s. I hate my current job.

Applied for a big girl career today ...nothing too wonderful, but better than part time none-the-less. I guess we'll see!

Ok .. so as much as I like the goonies .. the icon got old. Now it's my huband and my puppy. Anyway .. not much to say. I'm busy, stressed out, and don't want to commit to anything right now.

I just love that movie!! Hince the icon. Ray and I watched The Goonies the other day and I had forgotten how much I love it!!

You Know You're Too Stressed When

• You can achieve a "runners high" by sitting up.
• The sun is too loud.
• You are missing several days from this week.
• Trees begin to chase you.
• You can see individual air molecules vibrating.
• You wonder if brewing is "really" a necessary step for the consumption of coffee.
• You say the same sentence over and over again, not realizing that you've said it before.
• You can hear mimes.
• Things become "very clear." Everything is "very clear, indeed."
• You ask the drive-thru attendant if you can get your order to go.

• Your heart beats in 7/8 time.

• You and reality file for divorce.
• You say the same sentence over and over again, not realizing that you've said it before.
• It appears that people are speaking to you in binary code.
• You can travel without moving.
• Antacid tablets become your sole source of nutrition.
• You discover the aesthetic beauty of office supplies.
• You begin to talk to yourself, then disagree about the subject, get into a nasty tiff over it, lose, and refuse to speak to yourself for the next day.
• You say the same sentence over and over again, not realizing that you've said it before

Today, I have been married exactly 6 months...not exaclty a milestone or anything but hey. Gotta celebrate something.

So there was this stray dog that kinda took up at my parents house. We tried to "shoo" her away but alas .. she would always sleep on the front porch. So anyway .. it's cold and rainy and just pooey outside today and my mom opens the front door to two of the cutest little puppies EVER! Just as my mom realizes what they are .. here comes the momma doggie with ANOTHER puppy...and heads back out into the rain for another. 4 ... 5 ... 6 ...7 puppies later, the whole litter was on the front porch. Apparently she had the puppies in the woods and needed a safe place to bring them out of the cold. My daddy made them a little box house to sleep in and we covered them with a blanket. Who knows what kind they are ... heinz 57 dogs I guess. But cute none-the-less. I guess they'll stay ..for a while or until she moves them. If they stay at my parents house long enough, I suppose we'll put an ad in the paper. We dont need anymore doggies ... Scooter and Buddy might get jealous!

I need to make a real post but ..eh..nevermind..a list will suffice.

*Been sick all weekend. Being sick sucks. A removeable nose would be nice.
*Because I've been sick Ray rented me lots of movies to watch. (He's a good nurse)
*Looked at some new houses online (while sick) this weekend. Ray and I are gonna try to sell ours in a yr and a half/2 yrs. (hopefully)
*My doggie is getting long. He really is starting to look like a wiener dog now.
*School is good. Saying "last semester" is nice. I totally did things backwards .. marriage and then graduation? What was I thinking?
*Being broke isn't fun
*The chicken sandwich I had at lunch isn't really agreeing with me.
Enough randomness. It's 3:25. T-minus 35 minutes till I'm outta here! (As though I'm working SO hard...)

~~Inside Your Heaven~~

I've been down
Now I'm blessed
I felt a revelation coming around
I guess its right, it's so amazing
Everytime I see you I'm alive
You're all I've got
You lift me up
The sun and the moonlight
All my dreams are in your eyes

I wanna be inside your heaven
Take me to the place you cry from
Where the storm blows your way
I wanna be earth that holds you
Every bit of air you're breathin' in
A soothin' wind
I wanna be inside your heaven

When we touch, when we love
The stars light up
The wrong becomes undone
Naturally, my soul surrenders
The sun and the moonlight
All my dreams are in your eyes

And I wanna be inside your heaven
Take me to the place you cry from
Where the storm blows your way
And I wanna be the earth that holds you
Every bit of air you're breathing in
A soothing wind
I wanna be inside your heaven

When minutes turn to days and years
When mountains fall, I'll still be here
Holdin you until the day I die
And I wanna be inside your heaven
Take me to the place you cry from
Where the storm blows your way

I wanna be inside your heaven
Take me to the place you cry from
Where the storm blows your way
I wanna be earth that holds you
Every bit of air you're breathin' in
A soothin' wind
I wanna be inside your heaven
Oh yes I do
I wanna be inside your heaven

Ever just feel overwhelmed? I am. I'm tired. I just want to STOP. But I can't. It sucks knowing that the next 5 months will be this way. I go to work early, I stay at work late, stay at school even LATER. I don't think I've ever had a semester where I stayed in class till 9pm after a whole day of classes, and today is only day number 2! Things were horribly busy before school started and now thats just added fuel to the fire. I feel like I've been forced to neglect so much, from my husband to my friends (old and new) to my own little dog. A friend from highschool called the other day and although I'd LOVE to talk to him ... I simply haven't had time to call him back. So, if I've failed to IM you, call you back, or even see you at church, I do sincerely apologize. Everyone told me that my first year of marriage + school would be this way and yep, they were right! Ray and I are like ships passing in the night. Some times he's the Titanic, sometimes I'm the USS Alabama...(at least I still have my humor) It'll all pay off in the end. Especially May 6!

On a happier note, the weekend of the 20th is looking promising! I can't wait for ya to visit!! Maybe then I can relax and we can catch up! (I have some Crown on the fridge!) GNO is calling my name !!

People really frustrate me sometimes. I really am a people person ..but I swear some days I think I'm losing my touch. I mean geez. Just say what you mean and mean what you say. What is it that you want? Have you ever had someone who wanted to be your friend yet ...didnt. What the heck? Nah this isnt directed at anyone here... really just a random "vent". Some days just fly right on by...and then others are as grounded as my rear in this chair. I dunno. Maybe it's just me. Maybe it's me.


Anyway .. on another note I read the Catcher in the Rye again for the umteenth time and I STILL love it. Haulden Caufield cracks me up...

"Take most people, they're crazy about cars. They worry if they get a little scratch on them, and they're always talking about how many miles they get to a gallon, and if they get a brand-new car already they start thinking about trading it in for one that's even newer. I don't even like old cars. I mean they don't even interest me. I'd rather have a goddam horse. A horse is at least human, for God's sake." ~Chapter 17, spoken by the character Holden Caulfield

How sad is it that I thought I might actually cry reading some of this. Who'd of thought that taking a trip down memory lane might be so emotional?


Remember back.

Before the Facebook frenzy.

Before the Internet & text messaging.

Before Sidekicks & iPods.

Before PlayStation2 or X-BOX 360

Before the 5 hours of homework you put off every night.

When you rented VHS tapes, not DVDs.

When gas was $0.95 a gallon & Caller ID was a new thing.

When we recorded stuff on VCRs & paid $3.50 for a movie.

When we called the radio station to request songs to hear off our walkmans.

Way back.

Tag.

Hide-n-Go Seek at dusk.

Red Light, Green Light.

Heads Up 7 Up.

Playing Kickball & Dodgeball until your porch light came on.

Hopskotch.

Slip-n-Slides.

Tree Houses.

Mother May I?

Red Rover.

Four Square.

Hula Hoops.

The annoying Nano Pets & Furbies.

Playing Street Hockey with the neighborhood friends.

Running through the sprinklers.

Happy Meals where you chose a Barbie or a Hot Wheels car.

Getting the privelage to sit in the front seat of the car.

Wait.

Watching Saturday Morning Cartoons in your PJ's still wrapped up in your Garfield comforter.

Hay Arnold, Doug, Rugrats.

The original Power Rangers

Or what about:

The Secret Life of Alex Mac.

Ren & Stimpy.

Double Dare.

Rocko's Modern Life.

AAAHH!! REAL MONSTERS.

Wild & Crazy Kids.

Clarissa Explains it All.

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

The original 'All That' cast members.

Kenan & Kel.

Who could forger Snick? & Nick @ Nite with Bewitched, I Dream of Jenie, The Facts of Life & I Love Lucy.


Where everyone wanted to be in love after watching The Wonder Years.

Not finished yet.

Kool-Aid was the drink of choice.

Wearing your new shoes on the first day of school.

Class field trips.

When Christmas was the most exciting time of year.

When getting high was swinging on the swingset.

When $5 seemed like a million, & another dollar a miracle.

When you begged to go to McDonalds for dinner everyday.

When Toys R Us overuled the mall.

Go back to the time when

Decisions were made by going 'eeny-meeny-miney-moe'.

Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming 'do over!'

'Race issue' ment arguing about who ran the fastest.

Money issues were handled by whoever was banker in 'Monopoly'.

It wasn't odd to have two or three 'best' friends.

Being old referred to anyone over 20.

A chance to skate as a couple at the local roller rink was like winning the lottery.

The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties.

Nobody was prettier than Mom.

Nobody was cooler or stronger than Dad.

Scrapes & bruises were kissed & made better.

It was a big deal to finally be tall enought to ride the 'big people' rides at the fair.

When playing Nintendo was the hardest thing ever.

When Ninja Turtles ruled the world.

If you can remember most or all of these
than you have lived in the 90's!

 

So.. My husband and I had a wonderful first Christmas. It's hard to believe that Ray asked me to Marry him on Christmas eve a year ago, and here we are married. My how time flies. And did I mention that my doggie is just wonderful? I couldnt have asked for a better present. Other than that Ray and I also got lots of (MUCH NEEDED) pots and pans from my parents...that's really sad isn't it? When you start to actually look forward to "domestic" home products. Geez. My mother-in-law gave us an Alabama Crimson Tide bed set complete with comforter, curtins, sheets and pillow covers. Now just for clarity.. it's not like we eat, live, sleep and breathe Alabama Football (well Ray does) but OUR room isn't the Alabama room. One of our two guest rooms is decorated completely in Alabama stuff and now has the bad stuff to top it all off. I like to refer to it as the shrine. We got alot of other stuff too ...tools, house stuff, and most importantly my puppy got the CUTEST sweater ever! Sadly, I got so used to staying up late and staying in bed until 2pm over Christmas that getting up and getting ready for work is going to kill me this week! I can't wait till New Years so I can take another day off of work! Anyway .... I miss you guys. Happy New Years!

 

Look at the Candy Cane
What do you see?
Stripes that are red
Like the blood shed for me

White is for my Savior
Who's sinless and pure!
"J" is for Jesus My Lord, that's for sure!

Turn it around
And a staff you will see
Jesus my shepherd
Was born for Me!

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!