Living a Barefoot and Crazy Lifestyle

Book Review

2012-03-02T04:00:00.001-08:00

Finished another book so I'm linking up with Heather.

As I mentioned last week, I started reading another Heather Wardell book. I wasn't as pleased with this one as I'd been with the others, though.

Here’s what Amazon says:

Waking up with a strange man is scary. Realizing you lost fifteen years of your life overnight? That’s terrifying. With her memories from seventeen to thirty-two gone, Kate has no idea who she is and where she belongs. As she begins to fall for the man who found her, she wonders if she forgot those years for a reason. Should she keep trying to retrieve her original self, or start a new life?

To this book, I say, “Eh…” It was O.K. Nothing spectacular. I got a little angry at the main character for not remembering actually, ha. You definitely didn’t have to do anything thinking in this book. It was all quite predictable.

Out of 5 stars? I'd give it a 2.

I've Got a Bone to Pick...

2012-03-01T04:00:00.001-08:00

With Pitbull haters. And if I lose followers over this, then so be it.

I’m so sick and tired of seeing headlines on the news about “When Pitbulls Attack.” People are so quick to judge this dog breed that it just breaks my heart and I get so worked up over it. Does no one remember when Rott’s and Dobie’s had the bad reps? I guess it’s the Pitty’s turn right now but it’s just so devastating to me…

I have ALWAYS wanted to save a Pit and when Brody fell into Kenny’s lap one day, I was ecstatic. He is honestly the most fun loving dog I’ve ever seen. All he ever wants is for someone to pay some attention to him.

I know what y’all are thinking… you’re a Pit owner, of course you’re going to say that. But I haven’t always been one. I’ve just done my research and with a little bit of discipline, these dogs can be the sweetest things you’ll ever meet. But rest assured, if anyone ever breaks into your house or threatens your child, you best believe they will destroy that person. Not all Pitty’s fight or attack just to draw blood. They do it to protect the ones they love.

I have to blame all the irresponsible owners of Pitbulls out there for giving these creatures such a bad reputation. What is so wrong with just loving your animal?! I just don’t get it.

Don't let that face fool you.

Let’s talk about my doxie, Frank. He will go ape shit if you even so much as come near his territory… his territory being anything within sight for him. He’s a complete asshole and refuses to let anyone pick him up, let alone pet him unless it’s on HIS terms. Brody, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to jump into your arms and give you kisses. So moral of the story is: Brody – loves people; Frankie – hates people.

I’ve never seen a dog get along so well with my little handicapped brother, Charles. Typically, when he tries to yank on my parents’ Golden Retriever or Basset Hound they turn and try to snap at him. Not Brody. He loves every minute of it. Granted, he can get a little too excited and starts tackling Charles (who, by this point, is laughing so hard he can’t breathe), but the fact of the matter is, he loves being loved. Don’t even get me started on how neither Brody nor Frank have any sense of space. They take up more of the bed than 3 people would. And they walk all over you as if you were just a piece of furniture. Redic.

So, that’s my rant on Pitty’s. I love them; always have, always will. And since Brody lives with Kenny, I’m missing both of them terribly right now.

So throw these poor little guys a bone, will ya? At least try? Please, and thank you.

Oh and as a side note... I REFUSE to wear any Nike products anymore as they have that damn Michael Vick as their spokesperson. They say 'they've forgiven him for what he's done.' I'm sorry but I can't fogive people who commit acts of animal cruelty. Ain't gonna, ain't gonna do it.

This Pitty will change your life.

Oh, So Pinteresting

2012-02-29T04:00:00.001-08:00

Linking up with Michelle again this Wednesday for some Pinteresting finds.

I won't waste any time with my useless babbling so enjoy some of my fave pins as of late!

Hope y'all have a whimsical Wednesday :) --how's THAT for alliteration, huh?

Blog of the Month: February 2012

2012-02-28T04:00:00.001-08:00

And the award goes to...

TARA!!!

I don’t even know where to start with this chick-a-dee. I think she is one the first bloggers I started following and I’m so glad I did. I can relate to just about everything she writes and/or tweets about.

Let me just rattle off some of the many things I heart about her…

First up, she speaks in ‘haz’ sometimes. And she does it REAL well. And I envy that ability of hers. Super funny stuff, people.

She has an undying love for unicorns. Of course, I had to send her this:

Duh. It only made sense.

She’s got an obsession with Target and even has a weekly link-up for it. I, too, have an obsession with Target. We’re not alone in this struggle with our addiction. Who am I kidding? I have no shame being addicted to Target. BEST. STORE. EVER.

And to wrap it all up, she's WAY adorable! And so is her furbaby, Sammy!

So, y'all should probably go check her out if you haven't already. Because she's just downright awesome.

What I Did This Weekend

2012-02-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

My friends, being the amazing gals they are, did a damn good job of keeping me occupied. Although, all I could keep thinking of is what he was doing and couldn't keep from missing him.

Starting out, my best friend of 17 years plus came and had a sleepover with me on Friday night. We went and had a few drinks at my local watering hole in town and laid in bed and ate ice cream.

Saturday morning, all my girlfriends and I got together for brunch at a cute little place called The Brown Bag Cafe. If you are ever in Western Washington I strongly recommend this place. They have the best bread and cinnamon rolls EVER.

Mom and I went to none other than Tar-jay afterwards and I had myself a little retail therapy... though it didn't really feel theraputic. But I did manage to get some great deals! I know, I know... what a surprise that I found some good deals at Target, right?

Chelsea and Gary, being the bestest friends ever, took me out for Gary's little brothers birthday party. We started out at his little bro's place and got our groove on with some Dance Central. Okay, I personally didn't get much of my groove on but the others did.

Then we headed to dinner at the Wingdome. BOMB dot com wings. And their sweet potato fries? TO. DIE. FOR.

The festivities continued at this club called the Sky Ultra Lounge in downtown Bellevue. Gary's little brother's best friend (and roommate... did you catch all that?) knows the owner so we had the VIP area all to ourselves. I was hoping for some Seahawk players to show up but no such luck.

I'm not a "clubber" whatsoever... the closest I get to clubs is the Duvall Sports Bar, ok? Ha. But it was fun to people watch and take my mind off things for a while. Of course, I was still wishing he was there having a good time with me, though.

Sunday ended up being a lazy day. Practice got canceled so I hung at Chelsea and Gary's for most of the morning and then laid around watching Lifetime movies. Thrilling, I know.

Hope you all had a great weekend :)

I've Been Awarded...

2012-02-25T04:00:00.001-08:00

Barbie from Barbie's World clearly knew I needed some cheering up because she passed this award on to little 'ol me :) Thanks, woman. I really appreciate it!

Here's how this award works: 1. Link back to the person who awarded you -- CHECK2. Answer all of the award questions -- see below3. Tell something about yourself that you haven't shared on your blog before -- Um... I've been pretty open with y'all on here soooo... I got nothing. How lame am I? 4. Award as many bloggers that you think are worth of this award and let them know! Award Questions: 1. What is your go-to makeup brand?Easy. Either E.L.F. or Almay. 2. What is your favorite fashion trend of 2011? Um, I'm not much of a "fashionista" and I have no idea what year this "trend" got started but I have become a BIG believer in jeggings (or leggings), boots, and long shirts/sweaters/dresses. 3. What is your favorite dessert?Cowpies from Lazy K's. Hands down. 4. What is your favorite color?Well, it's a toss up between pink, black, and white. I can never decided on just one. 5. What is your middle name?Ann. No story behind it. Just had a nice "ring" to it, I suppose. 6. What is the last song you listened to? I just listened to a clip of Carrie Underwood's "Good Girl"... doesn't that count? 7. Dogs or cats?D-O-G-S! Don't get me wrong, I've come across quite a few cats that I've enjoyed but they are few, far, and in between. I ALWAYS get along with dogs. I pass this award on to... ALL OF YOU!! I love all of your blogs (trust me, I've looked at all of them... don't make me prove it because frankly, I don't know how). So now it's your turn :)

Book Review

2012-02-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

Amidst all the chaos going on in my life this week, I managed to find time (who am I kidding? I've had a LOT of time on my hands this week) to finish a book.

After reading this book by Heather Wardell, I had to read another.

Here's what the folks at Amazon had to say: Mary's given up everything, including an unsatisfying marriage, to be a chef. But the career comes with a side dish; Kegan, her sexy but controlling new boss. They're soon in a realtionship, and in all-to-frequent arguments, and when it becomes clear they can't work together and be together Mary faces a dilemma: keep her dream job or dream man? Again, I was a fan of this book. It was just sweet. I want to use the word light-hearted but I feel I over use that word so... sweet, it is. I've become a fan of Heather Wardell's writing. She's got a fun style and makes reading her books just relaxing. You don't have to think too hard. In fact, in most parts of this book, I could predict what was going to happen. Which is fine by me.

Sometimes All It Takes...

2012-02-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

Is something like this to brighten up some of my saddest days:

Flowers and card sent from my bestie of 17 + years. Definitely gave me a smile. So thankful for all my friends, both new and old.

Not Much To Say...

2012-02-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hey gals.

I don't even know where to start... all of your emails and texts and tweets just really filled my heart with warmth when it was so empty. I can't thank you all enough. I'm so thankful to have friends like you, even though we've never met... I feel like I've known y'all my whole life. I'm so thankful that I started this blog... I honestly don't know where I'd be without all of you and your listening ears and shoulders to lean on.

Ever since I started this blog, I've gone through so many things in my life and you've all been there for me. I fully believe in paying it forward and I hope that you all can look to me for the same love and support you all have given me.

I don't have much to say today. I had a counseling appointment last night and my counselor's guidance always puts me in a better mood. I'm doing my best to give Kenny his space but it's hard when he's my best friend and we share everything with each other. All of this is just hard. There's no other way to explain it.

Obviously, my blog post yesterday had been scheduled... clearly I was not all cheerful and happy like it may have seemed in that post. Please excuse me if you don't hear from me as much as you have been. I am in the midst of planning a giveaway for y'all!

P.S. I was watching Dance Moms while I wrote this... does anyone else watch this show?! Abby Lee Miller's voice drives me insane. Am I all alone? And one more thing... does anyone else wonder how the hell she's a dance instructor? I mean, not to be rude or anything... #SorryImNotSorry. As a coach, I don't condone 'playing favorites' and she plays favorites like it's going outta style. Yet I love her... I think she's one BAMF when it comes to those women. But don't get me started on the moms.

I love you all.

Party Animal!

2012-02-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

So, I know I haven't been blogging long but I feel it's only appropriate that you find out something's about me. And there's no time like the present, am I right?

Here we go.

You may recall this post all about my misfortunes. I guess I never really realized how much I partied. I partied HARD. I was closing down the bars every night and driving while intoxicated. It's amazing that I didn't get in ~~any~~ too much trouble earlier in my party years.

Want proof? I knew you would.

Uff da.

Like I was saying... I worked hard, but played harder.

I've definitely slowed down my "play time" lately. I think one would call this growing up? Either way, I had fun... while it lasted.

And who's to say these days won't repeat themselves occassionally? It's a possibility. But it'll never go back to what it used to be.

Never Expected This...

2012-02-20T08:45:00.000-08:00

I didn't think I'd be ready to talk. At least not this soon. But then I remembered how supportive you all were when the whole kid situation came about and I figured, y'all might be able to help me out now.

I guess I'll just come out and say it:

Kenny broke up with me last night.

Part of me isn't surprised. But it's a very miniscule part. He's reasoning being... all day yesterday he just started thinking about a lot of things that he hadn't thought about since finding out about his son. Such as not being able to spend as much time with him, not being able to be there for his "firsts". He doesn't know that I'll ever be able to get over the fact that he's got a kid with HER.

But here's the thing... I know how my head works and I knew going into this that it wouldn't be easy; that it'd take a lot of work. So I go to counseling for guidance and it's been helping. I made the choice to stay with Kenny through all this and damn it, I've put forth everything I have inside me to show him that I can get over the past. But he knows me and knows that I hold grudges which is true and I don't blame him for having doubts about it. But at the same time, he's gotta trust that I am strong enough to do it just like I'm trusting him.

He also said that he feels he owes it to Wyatt to try and be with HER. He doesn't even know if she would be willing to try. And here's the kicker: this is the THIRD time I have gotten my heart broken by him all having to do with HER.

Yes, we've been fighting, but it hasn't even been three months since we found out about his son. I can't make all the necessary adjustments to my life in the blink of an eye. I know how hard I'm going to have to work and I'm accepting of it.

He says he still loves me and he pulled the "it's not you; it's me" line. I'm always going to be in love with him. He's my everything, "the one", my soul mate, if you will. I can't imagine starting over and being with anyone but him. He brings so much joy to my life and he doesn't realize it. If he finds he's made a mistake, I still want to be there for him because damn it, we have beent talking about marriage, buying a house together, having a kid of our own after a few years. And none of those dreams with him will ever change for me.

I understand he's confused right now and I can't blame him for thinking the way he is. He said his heart is telling him he can see us ending our realationship forever but his heart isn't sure. Last night, he went with what his head was telling him.

I don't know that "mad" is the way to describe how I feel. I mean, after over 5 years of being together, off and on and after everything we've gone through and all the obstacles we've managed to get over, I guess I'm just confused. I'm sad. I'm heartbroken.

I need him in my life, you guys. I love him more than he knows and I made the decision to be with him and raise his child with another girl with him. I have accepted the fact that she will be in our lives. Has it been easy? No. Is it going to take a lot of work? Absolutely. But I'm more than willing to take that plunge. I'm more than willing to go above and beyond. I'm more than willing to be a step-mom to his child, no matter who the mother of his child is.

I want to love him all our lives.

Book & Movie Review

2012-02-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

Well gals, I finally jumped on the bandwagon. That’s right… I read The Help. I know, I know you’re all probably wondering, what took ya so long?? Well, to be honest… I wasn’t sure it was gonna be “my type” of book. But boy, am I glad I picked it up. I fell in LOVE with it.

Now, I know y’all have already read the reviews from just about every other blogger so instead of giving my usual Friday Book Review, I’ve decided to do a little comparison.

BOOK vs. MOVIE

Okay, let’s make sure we agree on a few things. Number one: Hilly Holbrook is a RAGING bitch. Number two: Celia Foote is hysterical. Everyone agree? Good. Grand. GREAT! NO YELLING ON THE BUS! (Ten points if you can name that movie).

When I was reading the book, I felt like Aibileen and Minny didn’t have as much character as they do in the movie. It didn’t really seem, to me, as if they truly were Skeeter’s friends as the back of the book claims. In the movie, you can definitely tell that they do become friends with the white lady and it makes me so damn happy.

In the movie, I wish they would’ve explained why all the maids all of a sudden wanted to help Skeeter. I mean, I knew that it was because Yule May was hauled off to prison, but they don’t mention that in the movie. Maybe they did? Did I not hear it?

I wish that Minny would’ve let her guard down a bit with Celia and Johnny. I feel like they really did enjoy her company and looked to her as a friend, instead of a “nigra” as Hilly did. But I guess I can understand why she didn’t during those times. It just makes me sad.

Isn’t it cray cray to think that’s how things really were back then? The whites were SO damn mean to the blacks and growing up in today’s society, it just breaks my heart to think about the way it was. I just can’t even fathom living life like that.

Who else just loved Hilly’s mama, Mrs. Walters? She was a RIOT! I’m glad they gave her more of a part in the movie… I was sad when she was no longer a part of the book.

Let’s talk about Constantine. That actress is nowhere NEAR what I had been picturing in my head. I mean, they claimed in the book she had the voice of an angel and was the best singer they’d ever heard. Um… I beg to differ. I had a real hard time understanding what ol’ Connie was saying most of the time. But who bawled their eyes out when Charlotte kicked her and Rachel out of her house? Raises hand. You bet the water works were flowing like Niagara Falls over here.

Ugh, how annoying is Elizabeth? Always cowering down to Hilly and hanging on her every word. Get a grip, woman. Stand up for yourself, my God. The water works were turned back on when Aibileen was fired… not by Elizabeth but by Hilly. Which makes sense because Hilly was her boss? No, I didn’t think so. Damn that Hilly. I was so proud of Aibileen for standing up to Hilly at the end and walking out of the Leefolt residence with her head held high that day. But lawwwddd child, did I cry. Kenny couldn’t believe how much I was crying over “a freaking movie” – his exact words.

All in all, this has got to be the BEST book I've read and movie I've seen in... forever? Is that extreme of me to say? It was brilliant. I didn't want it to end.

P.S. Wish my volleyball team luck this weekend! We've got a 3-day tournament ahead of us and we'd love to take first place!Kristine has an extremely busy weekend ahead of her... but what else is new right? I gotta love that I'm staying busy and doing what I love. And while I'm at it... I just happened to notice that my little 'ol blog hit 200 followers! I can't believe it! Thank you so much for taking an interest in all I have to babble on about. Of course, I am going to keep good on my promise of a giveaway... keep your eyes peeled for it :) I love you all. No joking. Have a great weekend everyone!

Where Are They Now!?

2012-02-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

I don't know if y'all have caught on to this yet but I'm kinda obsessed with things from the 90's (and on a good day, things from the late 80's). Which brings me to my next topic: what in the world ever happened to those 90's girl and/or boy bands? I know many of you have most likely been thinking the same thing. Good thing I'm here to fill you in, right?

First up, we have...

O*TOWN Probably most well-known for the songs:"All or Nothing" -- a personal fave"Liquid Dreams" They were formed in the first season of MTV's Making the Band (weird, remember that show?). Members of the band include (and have included): Erik-Michael EstradaDan MillerTrevor PenickJacob UnderwoodAshley Parker AngelIkaika Kahoano The band broke up in 2003 mainly because they couldn't hang with the big boys... the big boys being N*SYNC, BSB, etc. The guys moved on to solo careers. Ashley Parker Angel probably the most known member of the group even got his own reality TV show on MTV... luckily for us, it didn't last long. He was a hot mess, for sure. There were talks of a reunion back in January of 2011 but it seemed as though not all of them were feeling it.

SOULDECISION Known for songs:"Faded""Ooh It's Kinda Crazy" The band was originally formed under the name 'InDecision' up in Vancouver, CA (holler to my northern neighbs!). Member's of the band include:Trevor GuthrieDavid BowmanKen LewkoJames Reid The band broke up in 2005 when Trevor Guthrie decided to branch out and make a solo album. Seems kind of selfish of him, but whatever. It's not my band.
L.F.O. One of the most well-known boy bands from the 90's. Their hit songs include:"Summer Girls""Girl on T.V.""Every Other Time" Member's of the band were:Devin LimaBrad FischettiRich CroninBrian Gills The band separated in 2003 so the members could focus on solo projects.In 2009, LFO posted something on MySpace (weird) that said, "LFO is back." Sadly, in 2010, lead singer of the group, Rich Cronin, passed away at the young age of 36 after a long battle of Leukemia and stroke. RIP Rich... he was totes my fave.

DREAM Known for songs such as:"He Loves U Not""This Is Me" Member's (past and present?) include:Holly Blake-ArnsteinAshley PooleDiana OrtizKasey SheridanMelissa SchumanAlex Chester The group was originally formed when Holly Blake-Arnstein was recruited by a talent scout. The girls left the talen scout that selected them and moved on to sign with Sean "Puffy" "Diddy" Combs himself for Bad Boy Records. The group kind of just... fell apart yet managed to pick up some new girls (listed above) and have renamed the group (as of 2008), "Lady Phoenix." Did y'all roll your eyes, too? Good, glad it wasn't just me.
ACE OF BASE Ha, where do I even begin with all the songs they are known for? These are my three faves:"All That She Wants""The Sign""Living In Danger""Don't Turn Around" Apparently, I have four faves. Who knew? The members (past and present) include:Jonas Berggren
Ulf Ekberg
Clara Hagman
Julia WilliamsonMalin Berggren
Jenny Berggren The band is originally from Sweeden. They broke up in between the years of 2007 and 2009 but have since tried reuniting. Let's hope, for my own sake, that they do make a killer comeback because let's face it? Who doesn't love AoB?

Oh, So Pinteresting!

2012-02-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

Y'all should know by now what Wednesday means in blogger-land... it's time to link up with Michelle for...

Because who doesn't like to take a break (or six) from their work and do a little pinning? Not me, that's for sure... I kid, I kid! Obviously.

Um, hi. Where can I find you? You're a must have for the next big party.

This lady is a BOSS, if I've ever seen one.

Well, if this ain't the truth...

I had more pins... unfortnately Pinterest and Blogger were having a tough time communicating with each other so... looks like the party train stops here for today.

Our Love Story.

2012-02-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

It’s probably the most appropriate day to tell y’all about me and Ken Lamar’s love story. Aren’t you gals in for a real treat? ;)

1. How long have you and your significant other been together? I think it’s something like 5 years… on and off, of course. I kind of lost track after all our ups and downs. Don’t judge me.

2. How did you meet? Ha. Well we grew up in the same small town, went to high school together (he was a year older than me), and all that jazz but we didn’t actually start hanging out until about two years after high school ended (for me at least). He came over to my place to hang with my best guy friend and roommate at the time (oh, and my now ex-boyfriend) and we really hit it off. After all of us had been hanging out for a few months, me and him were out playing in the snow (while my ex was high on meth, glued to the TV playing video games) and he told me, “If you had a twin, I would totally date her.” I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or what but it made my heart melt a tad and so I started to fall for him (yes, I was still with my ex but trust me, we weren’t “together”, if that makes any sense?). And the rest is history? Or something like that.

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not married, is this the guy you hope to marry? Not married. Not even engaged… though sometimes it feels like we’re already married (not that I have anything to compare it to). I definitely think he’s “the one” for me. We’ve been through so much together and it’s only made our relationship stronger. I swear, he knows me better than I know myself. He can handle my stubborn-ness and puts up my with shit when no one else will. Yup, iz gonna marry that boy someday.

4. Where would you like to get married? Big wedding or small? Ooooh, I’m glad you asked! We know A LOT of freaking people so whether we like it or not, we’re going to have a big wedding… and I’m totally fine with that. The more the merrier, right? These are some of my top venues:

Carnation Farms (a.k.a. Camp Korey) in Carnation, WA

Swan Trail in Snohomish, WA (or something along those lines).

Craven Farm in Snohomish, WA (again, not sure of the exact name). My first choice is obvs Carnation Farms because, hello? It's home!

5. Do you have any nicknames you call one another? Where do I start? I think the number one nickname we have for each other is ‘Baby Knut’ and ‘Little Knut’ (just to be clear, I am ‘Little Knut’). Let me explain! Y’all have heard about that polar bear in Germany who was like a worldwide sensation named Knut, right? Well, when we first started dating, I compared Kenny to a polar bear because he loves the cold weather and can be constantly found wearing a t-shirt, flips, and shorts – I shit you not, I cannot get him to wear any long sleeves or sweatshirts for the life of me. Even with his dress shirts, he rolls up the sleeves. So I told him all about Knut and the name just kinda stuck. Other nicknames I have for him include: ‘Boss’, ‘Boss Knut’ (because he’s da boss! Always in charge), and of course, ‘Babe’. I think that’s everyone’s nickname for their significant others.

Just ~~Kenny~~ Baby Knut and his keeper, God rest his soul.

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey? Let’s get one thing straight. I DESPISE when people refer to my boyfriend as ‘your honey’ or more so when someone refers to their own BF as ‘my honey’. PUKE.

The three things I l-o-v-e about my other half has to be:

His sensitivity. He always knows just what to say to pick me up and drag me out of whatever rut I may be in.

His quirkiness. Let’s face it, I’m one of the biggest weird-o’s ever! And the fact that he a. let’s me be weird and b. can be weird with me, makes me love him that much more.

His romantic side. He can be a real charmer, sometimes. Such as surprise trips, dinners at a nice restaurant for two, special date nights, etc.

7. Tell us your ideal proposal. Well, last year I went on a hike with Chelsea and Carly and while I was huffing and puffing and cursing the trail the whole freaking way up, the view from the top was absolutely breathtaking. I would just melt if Kenny and I went on a hike together and he proposed to me at the top on the rock ledge, overlooking the valley we grew up in. Super cheesy? Maybe.

8. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach, or pop in a movie and relax on the couch kind of girl? Definitely the latter. I mean, who wouldn’t love a sunset dinner on the beach with the champagne flowing and long-lasting gazes into one another eyes? But let’s get real. When it comes down to it, I’m more than content with a night in with a movie and takeout and snuggle time with my polar bear.

9. Tell us one thing you would like to do with your honey one day. If you could do anything, or go anywhere? Ugh, again with the “honey” reference. Well, I suppose it would be to take a trip overseas to Europe and explore our family’s heritage. I know he’d love to go to Ireland and check out his homeland (he’s a Ginger, you know!), and I’d love to go back to Italy and France and maybe stop in some other countries along the way.

10. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for Valentine’s Day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals? I’ve had both so I’m not sure that he’s really either guy. He’s always managed to surprise me with something different every year for Valentine’s day… expect for last year when we were in a REAL ugly place. I never expect anything on V-day because I’m just not a big fan of the whole “holiday” to begin with but he’s been known to do a little something at least.

11. Tell us what you plan on doing this Valentine’s Day. I have a 8:50pm volleyball game, if that tells you anything. Pretty much, it’ll be just another night in the world of Kristine. Try not to be too jealous.

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine’s Day? I never do. However, I could really go for some York peppermint patties… maybe some Midnight Milky Ways… those are my fave candies.

13. Give us one piece of advice to keep a relationship strong and full of love. COMMUNICATION (something Kenny and I are having issues with as of late). Constantly talking about your thoughts, feelings, etc. with each other has helped our relationship grow, for sure. Be your other half’s biggest fan. Show them how much you care… remember, it’s the little things in life that matter.

14. Show us a picture of what love means to you. Oh lord, there’s so many to choose from. Guess y’all will just have to get a photo dump. You got shocks... pegs... LUCKY!

My Weekend in Review

2012-02-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe the weekend is already over. Wait, yes I can. It never lasts as long as I would like.

I attempted to recreate some sweet V-Day treats found on Pinterest. Let's take a look at how they turned out, shall we?

These are all the ingredients you need to make a super sweet, simple tasty treat.

Pop the pretzels with the Hersey's hugs on them in the oven at 250 degrees for about 4 minutes. Take 'em out and press the M&M's in the middle.
Set them in the fridge to cool and then...

Voila! Probably the easiest thing I've ever done.

Oh boy... these things didn't turn out so well.
Why yes, that is the Perfect Brownie pan... as seen on T.V.

Uh... I feel that's not what is supposed to happen.

Yikes. I hope they taste good at least?

Success! They were delightful! If only you can get past their looks.

Oh and the other night,we celebrated a co-worker's 25 years of service at the credit union. And this is how I felt about it.... and how Kenny felt about it.

As for the rest of my weekend. Well, it ended in a pretty shitty way. Maybe I'll talk more about it later but right now, I'm just trying to make some little life altering decisions.

Um, Exsqueeze Me?

2012-02-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

I'd like to take a minute to discuss what my 'blog stats' unveiled to me this weekend.

These are the keywords used to find my blog as of late:

Living barefoot

K, that one makes sense... hence the name of my blog.

Girl being arrested

Okay, that post was a while ago. I haven't been arrested in... never mind. Let's move on.

Stephen Coletti and Chelsea Kane dwts

Um, I did ONE post on DWTS and that I heart Chelsea Kane's hairstyle and the fact that she is was dating Stephen. And HOW long ago did that season end?

Tupac

I can see this. Not because of the post I did here but because of just how freaking gangster I am. "I keep my head held high like my mutha effing nose be bleedin!" Wait, that's Lil Wayne, right?

Volleyball Spandex Girls .blogspot.com

Uhhh, what? I don't even know what to say to this.

You know you're a 90s kid when

Holler! I am a 90s kid! I invite more key words like this when stumbling across my blog.

90s toy joke hand job

Again, I'm speechless. But I DO know what this may or may not be referring to. I think just about everyone I know and their mother's have it pinned. And it makes me laugh.

A year without Facebook

One of my most recent posts... and probably the most popular one to boot!

Awesome volleyball spandex

I'd like to set the record straight, here. I have NOT been searching the world wide web for said spandex. I have plenty that are awesome in their own ways, thank you very much.

Barefoot living

Again, this one makes sense.

Probably the weirdest stats I've had on this blog to date! Do any of you check out your key words and think 'dub tee eff'?

Love, Chaos, & Dinner

2012-02-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was jam packed with... volleyball, mostly. (Shout out to my girls for taking first place in Sunday's tournament and being undefeated!!! Woohooo!). But Kenny and I did get to spend some time with Chelsea and Gary for her quarter of a century birthday! (For those of you who are new, a quarter of a century would be 25 years old... just saying).

How did we celebrate? By attending this:

And don't worry. It only took me a whole effing week to get these pictures upload. Geez Louise.

Self-portrait during the drive? Why not?

Gotta love the view of the Space Needle while sitting in traffic.

Couples shots with the Needle in the background, of course.

Oh man, I'm get a little giddy when I see this sign walking in.

Da birfday gurl and her fiance :) Inside the 102 year old tent... where the "magic" happened. Seriously, if y'all have a Teatro Zinzanni in your neck of the woods, I strongly recommend you attend at some point in your life. The ticket price includes your food but I to be fair, I should warn you that the food they serve you is VERY gourmet. I was not a big fan of most of it but there were little things that I liked.

Book Review!

2012-02-10T06:09:00.000-08:00

Somehow, amongst all the chaos, I have found time to read books in record time. I mean, a book a week, Kristine? Really? In no matter, it’s time, yet again for a book review from yous truly so of course I’m linking up with mah gurrrlll, Heather for…

I just got done reading this book:

Here’s what Amazon has to say about it:

Twenty-eight-year-old Andrea returns home from a business trip to find Alex, her boyfriend of fourteen years, nervously waiting for her. Assuming he’s finally going to propose, Andrea’s instead horrified to learn he’s been cheating on her and is leaving to be with the other woman, who he calls Andrea’s opposite.

At first Andrea’s paralyzed by shock and sadness, but the business analyst soon forms a plan: change every last detail of her life and become her opposite so Alex will come back to her.

It’s a challenge at first, but soon Andrea’s loving the changes she’s making, the new activities she’s doing, and the new people in her life. But will she change enough to get Alex back? And if she does, will he fit into the wonderful new life she’s creating for herself?

Ya know, I actually enjoyed this book. It was another lighthearted, easy read and I found myself totally relating to some of her situations. We’ve all been dumped or been the dumpee and neither one is fun but the changes she makes to her life really made me enjoy her character.

Out of 5 stars? I’d give it a 3.

Holidays I Hate

2012-02-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this to y’all before but I despise Valentine’s Day.

Sure I’ve had a few V-Day’s that have been top notch, such as that one a few years back. I was living in an apartment with Chelsea and her co-worker and during this time, my life was in full “slut” mode and my mind was out of freaking control. Kenny, being the absolute sweetheart that he is, was trying his damndest to get me to just be with him, with no interruptions (if only I had been able to knock some sense into myself and been able to just be with him… then maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation of him having a child with another girl… but let’s not get started on that).

He showed up at my apartment before I got home from work and laid rose petals on the ground and sent me on a scavenger hunt to find certain things in the apartment (which was super itty bitty to begin with so the hunt didn’t take long). The first thing I found was a brand new pink digital camera. The second thing was dinner for two from Olive Garden which we ate by candlelight (the word “cheesy” might come to mind here… I was totes swooning, though) and the third thing was a full body massage. It was perfect and it brought me to tears. He was so sweet and yet I let him down by running off with my now ex-fling again. Why did I have to be so damn stupid to realize I had a great guy right in front of me? Everything happens for a reason, right?

That’s the one and only Valentine’s Day that I can remember being “good”. All the rest of them have sucked. Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day really, though? Isn’t it just a “Hallmark” day? Sometimes I am on that bandwagon of thinking “you shouldn’t have to have one specific day to celebrate your love for someone; it should be every day” but other times I just want someone to wine and dine me and make me feel all fancy and shit.

Honestly, it’s just another day for me. But this year, I was kind of hoping it would be different. I found some great V-Day goodies on Pinterest that I wouldn’t mind trying my hand at such as these little diddies:

These look easy enough, right?

And I’m thinking I will make up a little candy basket for Kenny with a card or something cute and cheesy and probably order lunch to be delivered to his work. I’ve sent him lunch every year for V-Day since we’ve been together so why break tradition?

Oh, So Pinteresting!

2012-02-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

Happy HUMP Day, guys and gals! It’s time to share some of my fave pins as of late so of course I’m linking up with one of my absolute favies, Michelle for…

As many of you know, I’m not the least bit fashionable but I’ve been trying to broaden my horizons as much as possible when it comes to style and trends. Let’s face it though; I’m way more comfortable in my jeans, boots, and a sweatshirt. Ever since I started blogging I’m noticing I really pay attention to what I wear and what looks good on me and what doesn’t. I’ve learned a lot thanks to all you hoe bags. I kid, I kid, you know I got nothing but love for y’all.

Moving on to my pins…

All these pins are outfits that I think I’d be able to pull off and totes intend on attempting to re-create soon. Obvs, I’ll keep y’all updated on my progress. And of course, I’ll be trying my best to find all these items at a reasonable price… therefore my stores of choice will mainly be Target, Maurices, Kohl’s, etc. Because who really wants to spend $50.00 on a plain white tee? Not me. I’m a saavy shopper, bitches.

Here's to Sobriety?

2012-02-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

Well gals, I’m proud to say I’ve made it a full year without Facebook and I have absolutely no intentions on returning to it.

Too bad I’m not going back. EVER.

Being “sober” from Facebook for this long taught me a lot of things. Let’s face it, there has been at least one point in time when you got involved with some sort of B.S. drama that all started on Facebook, right? I know I’m guilty of being sucked into it more than a few times and don’t even get me started on how much of a gossip I turned into due in large part to that damn social networking site.

So what made me finally decide to pull the plug on my profile? Well, Kenny had pretty much told me he didn’t know if he was in love with me anymore and come to find out, he was hanging out with his now baby’s mama (hence how Wyatt came to be) and I knew I’d become even more insane trying to stalk his and her page (even though hers was private) and I just couldn’t bring myself anymore heartache. Plus, my ex whom I was still trying to get over was on there and was moving on while things in my life were just get worse and worse. Every emotion, feeling, whatever building up inside me forced me to make the decision to quit FB.

I’ll admit, it was hard. REALLY hard. I was no longer in the loop with acquaintances and friends whom I rarely spoke to on the phone or via text and ya know what the worst part was? Trying to overcome my trust issues. I didn’t want Kenny to be on Facebook, I didn’t trust what could be happening on there and I was paranoid of looking like an idiot, yet again (believe you and me, this has happened on a regular basis). Granted, I’m still a little apprehensive about him being on Facebook and having that suspicious feeling every once in a while but, I’ve made some great strides to try to let go of these fears. Some days are better than others, of course.

Me leaving Facebook started this whole journey of blogging and I couldn’t be more happy with my decision! I’m quite content with all the friends I’ve made from blogging and Pinterest and Twitter so if you ever wanna link up with me via social networking, that’s where you can find me. Oh and Skype… but I’m still fairly new to it so… just a forewarning!

Taking a Stroll Down Memory Lane

2012-02-05T20:01:00.000-08:00

Let's talk about a little something I like to refer to as "my youth". (Anyone who's as obsessed with Dane Cook as I am knows exactly what skit I just quoted...).

I think it's safe to say that I am the prime example of "a product of the 90s". We had the best toys, games, and T.V. shows. There's nothing that can even compare to all the cool shit we had in that decade.

I've come across a few games/toys on the World Wide WEb and thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time. Who doesn't love reliving their childhood? Okay, so many some people didn't have a very good childhood and you want nothing more than to forget it ever happened but for the sake of this post, can you please just pretend you miss it? K, thanks.
Someone puhleeeaassee tell me they remember this game!? I was obsessed with it! That damn wizard would piss me the hell off with some of his answers though. Little bastard.
Who doens't remember playing this game? And the "zits" that came with it? Ha, classic.
Dream Phone! "Guess who's calling you!? It's Jason!" And all the girls would scream and giggle uncontrollably? -- that word looks weird but I guess it's spelt correctly?
Ugh, don't even get me started on this game. I was the G.D. CHAMP at this game. "There's a sale at... OOOHH NOOO! We're out of stock. Try again later." Oh, you bet your sweet ass I know all the little sayings that creepy little machine had attached to it. And remember the voice? SO. ANNOYING.
Hells. YES. Tamagotchi, baby. I had an Army camo colored one and that shit was ALWAYS dying on me. Could be because I negleted it all the damn time, though.
Dear Diary? Shit ya I had one! And I used it on the daily.
Oh man, it was all the rage to have one of these damn Caboodles and store all your makeup in it. I think I bought some pretty horrid make-up just so I could fill one of these babies up.
Oh yeeeaaahhh booooiiii. I effing DOMINATED at some Super Nintendo, yo. And these were my games of choice:

Yeah, try not to be too jealous.
Um, who could forget N64?! It preceeded the Super and was a damn close tie in my favorites. And my games of choice?

Yup. This all just happened. Tell me you're not thinking, oh my god, I remember all this!! You're welcome.

It's Time for a Book Review

2012-02-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

It’s finally Friday! And might I mention SUPERBOWL WEEKEND!! Woohoo! I’m really not too sure why I’m so excited seeing as how for the first time in the past few years I have been able to get out of not having to be at a volleyball tournament on Superbowl Sunday and yet here I am… going to a freaking tournament. Good thing there will be plenty of dad’s there able to give me updates.

Another bonus to this weekend is that it’s my bestie’s birthday! Leave Chelsea some love at her new blog! And to celebrate her birthday, we’re going out to do something fun… obvs. More details to come!

Anyhow, back to Heather’s link-up… this past week I finished reading…

Amazon’s book review goes a little something like this:

Thirty-something Zoe Manet just lost everything she cares about. She lost her job. She lost her fiancé. Looking for a fresh start, she moves to England and takes a job as a nanny… which ends up complicating her life even more.

Chris Eastham, her new charge, is a rotten brat. Lewis Eastham, the boy’s father, won’t stop hitting on her – and he’s a married man!

And then there’s Chris’ uncle, Benjamin Eastham, the Oxford grad who enjoys a relentless flirtation with the new nanny. Ben is super-hot and preciously posh, but she can’t picture herself dating the much younger man.

Or can she?

The Nanny’s Knickers is a romantic comedy for anyone who has ever gone “across the pond”… or wish they could!

I have to admit, I LOVED this book! It was so light hearted and such an easy read. I could totally picture all the characters as if they were real-lifer’s. I will definitely be reading another book by this author.

Out of five stars? I’d give it a 4.5 (--> what? I’m a really tough critic!).

Do Y'all Ever Wonder... (Part Two)

2012-02-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

What the music scene would be like if these musicians were still alive today?

Tupac Shakur

Bob Marley

Conway Twitty

Jimi Hendrix

John Lennon

Johnny Cash

Kurt Cobain

Lynard Skynard

Michael Jackson

Notorious B.I.G.

Stevie Ray Vaughn
Anyone else you can think of that might make a difference in today's music world?

Oh, So Pinteresting!

2012-02-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

Um, I don’t know if you gals are aware of this and I don’t want to frighten anyone but… did y’all know it’s FEBRUARY already?! I mean, where the hell did January scurry off to? Am I the only one who thinks January flew by? Am I all alone?!

Well, in no matter, it’s Hump Day and what better way to appreciate the humpy-ness of this day than with some pins from none other than Pinterest?

That’s right, I’m linking up with Michelle for another riveting edition of…

I was feeling a little silly when I did this post so here’s some pins from my “Funny (and Sometimes True) Ish” board.

For serial. I've met a handful of cats that I wouldn't mind calling my own but when it all comes down to it? I'm a dog person. Through and through.

As a volleyball coach, you have no idea how much this picture pains me. I don't even want to talk about how many times I've seen it happen in real life, either.

Nailed it! I've yet to really "re-create" anything from Pinterest exactly the way they show it in the picture.

This is just downright awesome.

I was dying I was laughing so hard at this one.

Red Solo Cup! I fill you up! Let's have a party! Let's have a party!

I find new Halloween costume ideas on Pinterest every damn day.

Bahaha, I freaking hate spiders but I kinda felt guilty for all the ones I've killed after seeing this. They have families, too!

Blog of the Month: January 2012

2012-01-31T04:00:00.000-08:00

It’s the last day of January (just in case you gals weren’t aware) and that can only mean one thing… It’s time to announce my Blog of the Month!

The lucky duck happens to be…

Carissa!

For those of you who don’t follow her, I am really baffled. I’m pretty sure EVERYONE in blogger land should be following Carissa and all her cuteness.

The girl’s got great fashion sense, is one of the funniest bloggers out there, and did I mention how cute she is? Oh, and she likes to take really fun pictures on her webcam and post them. I love that she’s not afraid to show her crazy side because let’s face it; we’re all a little crazy but some of us like to keep those sides of us hidden. Not Carissa…. And not me for that matter… as if I really had a choice as to whether or not I could hide my weird-ness or not.

So, in true Beastie Boys style, ch-ch-ch-check it her out!

Do Y'all Ever Wonder... (Part One)

2012-01-30T04:00:00.000-08:00

What movies and/or T.V. would be like today if these people were still alive?

Patrick Swayze

Bernie Mac

Brittany Murphy

Chris Farley

Heath Ledger

John Belushi

John Candy

John Ritter
Am I missing anyone that you think would make a difference in today's entertainment world?

Book Club Friday!

2012-01-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday, everyone!

It’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday!

…I apologize for that little outburst. Some days, I feel the need to channel my inner Rebecca Black.

Today, I’m linking up with Mrs. BUB herself, Heather, for…

Over this past week, this is what I read:

Here’s what the folks at Amazon had to say (book description):

Patsy Whyte was one of a family of ten traveler children who grew up in a children’s home in Aberdeen during the 1950s and 60s. Scarred by years of emotional abuse, prejudice, and hatred she left the home at 15 and drifted into a world of violence, prostitution, and drugs which almost claimed her life. No Easy Road is a testament to the survival of the human spirit.

I find a few things wrong with this book description. From what I read, Patsy never got into drugs or prostitution however others around her did. Maybe it’s just me but, typically things like that kind of jump out at me.

This book was just O.K. There was nothing that really left me wanting more. She’d tell a story and seemed very nonchalant about it and then she’d move onto a different story. That style of writing definitely makes it hard to follow along.

I felt angry when I read some of Patsy’s stories. I wanted so badly for her to freaking stand up for herself but she never did; she never got a chance to defend herself or tell her side of the story. It’s like she just allowed herself to be a doormat. Ugh, talk about annoying.

Out of 5 starts? I’d give it a 2.

Health Woes

2012-01-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, I had an appointment with a dietician to talk about my high cholesterol and triglyceride B.S. Luckily, they didn’t prick my finger as I had expected however, I did have to make an appointment to go back and get it done after fasting for 12 freaking hours. Ask me how excited I am? Overjoyed, really.

The dietician came to the conclusion that, to put it frankly, I’ve been fucked by my genes when it comes to lowering my cholesterol levels. Thank you, mommy dearest. So now, I’m forced to take drastic measures to lower it “manually”, if you will.

Here’s the deal: I have one helluva time eating healthy due to the fact that I am such a picky eater. Let me rephrase that; I eat healthy but, I don’t have a ‘variety’, so to speak. For example, I don’t do a whole lot of fruits and veggies. These are the only fruits and veggies I like:

Fruits

Apples

Bananas

Cantaloupe

Green Grapes

Peaches

Strawberries

**Exceptions… I enjoy blueberries but, only in a parfait and once in a blue moon, I’ll have a few pear slices but they aren’t my fave.

Veggies

Corn (although, come to find out, corn actually falls under the starch category more than veggies… who would’ve thought?)

Carrots

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Cucumbers (are these veggies? I’m not entirely sure.)

**Exceptions… I think lettuce counts as a veggie? And I enjoy salads and Subway sammies so, clearly I like lettuce. And black olives (not to be confused with any other olive)… not sure what category this falls under but veggies sounded good.

My dietician says she’s seen worse picky eaters but I beg to differ. What kind of person doesn’t like tomatoes but LOVES ketchup? I don’t make sense to myself.

What she suggests is, taking the foods I do eat and trying to ‘jazz’ it up a bit. And by ‘jazz’ I mean, try to explore other foods to see if I like them (already been tried and there’s no budging), and adding things like some snazzy fiber powder to my oatmeal and yogurt.

The most important thing that needs to happen is for me to take my fish oil. Remember when I did a post on my New Year’s ressies? Yeah, the whole “I’m going to take my fish oil every day” thing was an epic fail. But since finding out at my appointment on Tuesday that I’m at high risk for pancreatitis (or whatever the hell it is… something involving an infection of my pancreas), I figured there’s no better time than the present to get my ass in gear because honestly, I don’t feel like spending a lot of time cooped up in a hospital bed with some sort of nasty infection.

So, I guess it’s Operation: Lower my Cholesterol or Bust!

Oh, So Pinteresting!

2012-01-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Hump Day guys and gals! I honestly don’t know how many ‘guys’ read my blog but I don’t wanna leave them out.

I’m linking up with Michelle for some…

Where would be all be without Pinterest? Honestly. P.S. do you follow me yet? Because you probably should… I’m just saying. And if you aren’t on Pinterest yet, then what the hell are you waiting for?! If you need an invite, let me know and I’ll send one your way.

Today, I’m sharing some pins on my “Genius Ideas and DIY’s” board.

Y’all don’t even know how BADLY I need this little fella. I swear, I’m the messiest eater on the planet. No joke.

Not that I iron all that often but I could definitely put this device to good use. Who knows? It might make me want to iron EVERYTHING.

For someone as accident prone as me… you’d think I would’ve made a few thousand of these by no. Sadly, I haven’t but one of these days I’ll get around to it… maybe.

This pantry looks like heaven to an organizational OCD’er much like myself. Once I get my own place (with a walk-in pantry), I’ll obviously be making this organization happen. It’s a given.

Okay, I don’t know about you gals but I personally have one HELLUVA time trying to paint my nails. I need to find this contraption for myself and make nail painting a breeze.

I've Been Tagged!

2012-01-24T08:57:00.000-08:00

Before I do or say anything, y’all gotta go over to my BFFL’s blog at Carly Chubby Cheeks and leave her some love. She’s getting surgery on her foot this afternoon and it sounds like it’s gonna be pretty damn painful.

So, I have a minor confession to make. You know what “Tag” blog post that’s been going around? Well, I’ve seen quite a few of these posts and I get really excited that maybe I’ll get tagged but it never happened. It got to the point where I’d open my Google reader and pray that someone would tag me in it. Pathetic, right? Well, thanks to one of my all-time favies, Raquel, my prayers have been answered! Woohoo!

For those of you who have been living under a rock and don’t know the rules of this “game”, no need to fear. I’ll be happy to explain them.

Rule #1: You must post the rules. Huh… ironic.

Rule #2: Post eleven facts about yourself on the blog post.

Rule #3: Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.

Rule #4: Tag eleven people and link them on your post.

Rule #5: Let them know you’ve tagged them! Duh.

On my way to work this morning, I was really trying hard to come up with eleven facts about moi. Here’s what I’ve come up with:

1. I effing HATE the words “moist”, “panties”, and “ointment”. Every time I hear them, I gag. No joke.

2. I’m a REALLY picky eater. I’m serious. You think you’ve seen picky? You ain’t seen nothing like me. I will say, however, I’ve been trying new foods lately. Come to find out, I don’t really mind some things. Key word: some.

3. I over-analyze about everything. And I do mean eh-ver-ee-thang.

4. I’d rather be way too cold as opposed to way too hot.

5. I don’t do Harry Potter or Twilight or Lord of the Rings or anything even remotely related to those trends. It’s cool if you like it though; they just aren’t my cup of tea.

6. I have been diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety. I take medication and see a counselor on a regular basis for it. And I’m not the least bit ashamed.

7. I’ve got younger twin brothers; one who is mentally and physically disabled.

8. I can be a real bitch for no real reason. And sometimes, I feel no remorse for it.

9. I live, eat, and breathe volleyball. If I’m not playing, I’m coaching and vice versa.

10. I have a strange obsession with football and I’m a diehard Seahawks fan. Even if they haven’t been that great in the past few years.

11. My boyfriend and I are proud parents of a dachshund and a pitbull. And I hate people who rip on pits. It’s all a matter of how they were raised.

The questions that Raquel has asked:

1. If you could have any super power, what would it be?

Every time I hear this question, I immediately think of Dane Cook. Anyone know what skit I’m talking about? “I wish I could fly! Yeah? Who the fuck doesn’t?” Ha, gets me every time. Back to my answer, as cliché as it may be, I’d have to say fly. Sorry to let you down, Dane. Wish I could come up with something cooler.

2. What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Um, a shorter list would be “what’s NOT your pet peeve?”… seriously. It seems lately just about everything gets on my nerves. Nosy people have to be in the top three. Then there’s stupid drivers… not to say I’m a perfect driver by any means but let’s face it; there are some real morons out there on the roads.

3. If you could do or be anything (career wise), what would you be?

I’d love to be a personal/secret shopper. Think of the perks! Or a stay at home mom with a side job of bookkeeping or something. Does that make me sound like a lazy P.O.S.?

4. If you were given $5,000, how would you spend it?

I’d pay off my car and save the rest. Or give it to my parents in attempt to pay back all the debts I owe to them.

5. Favorite clothing/makeup item?

Lately, my fave clothing item has been my jeggings. I honestly never thought I would ever be the type to wear skinnies or jeggings but come to find out, I’m in LOVE with them. And fave makeup item lately? Has to be my tinted moisturizer. It’s the best thing ever invented and I swear by it.

6. What is your favorite thing to do on your free time?

Does napping count? I love just lounging on the couch, maybe with a good book or a good movie on and napping. With the boyfriend, of course. Napping wouldn’t be satisfying without the boyfriend next to me. (Ugh, what’s with all the mushy talk, Kristine?).

7. Who is your guy celebrity crush?

As of right now? Jesse Williams on Grey’s Anatomy. I mean, have you seen his eyes? Oh baby, talk to me nicely.

8. What’s your favorite song at the moment?

Red Solo Cup! I fill you up… let’s have a party! Let’s have a party!

Such a fun song. Oh, or Luke Bryan’s “Don’t Want This Night to End”. Love that jam.

9. What are your favorite clothing stores?

Maurices, duh. And probably Target. I haven’t really shopped anywhere else in a long time.

10. What’s one thing you want to do before you die?

Visit a tropical location. Seems a little boring, I know but I’ve never been to Mexico or Hawaii! I feel like an outcast.

11. If you could choose to live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Duvall. I love my home. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Okay, maybe I’d splurge for Carnation (Duvall and Carnation are practically the same town).

And the lucky eleven ladies that I’m tagging are…

Chelsea @ I Came to Defeat Myself

Sarah @ 90 Percent Blonde

Cole @ All the Small Stuff

Ana @ Caffeine & Cocktails

Carly @ Carly Chubby Cheeks

Erin @ Everything According to Erin

Amber @ Glitter and Dirt

Sam @ Once is Enough

Kodie @ One Day You Will

Teri Lynn @ Who We Are

Ashleigh @ This Lil Heart of Mine

Here are my questions for y’all:

1. If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have 3 things, what would you want with you? (-- such a common question, I know).

2. If you had to drown in any liquid BESIDES water, what would you choose?

3. If you had to be covered completely in hair (I’m talking every crevasse of your body), or be completely hairless (no hair anywhere), what would you choose?

4. If you had a kid (or had another kid for some of you), would you want a boy or a girl and what would their names be?

5. If you won the lottery, what would you do with your winnings (after taxes, obvs)?

6. Who are some of your favorite bloggers as of the time being? Link them to your post!

7. If money weren’t an object, what kind of car would you buy?

8. Congrats! You were just granted an all-expenses paid, two week vacation to ANYWHERE in the world! Where are you going to go?

9. If you were an animal, what would you be?

10. Who is your celebrity GIRL crush?

11. If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Thanks for including me on this fun game, Raquel!

Not Much To Say On This Gloomy Day

2012-01-21T17:19:00.000-08:00

As my title explains, I really don't have much to say today so instead I'm gonna give y'all a photo dump but, first... some shout-outs.

For those of you who have helped me and Kenny out by sending things our way for baby Wyatt, THANK YOU! I've got thank you cards coming with a little picture of Wyatt included. I promise I haven't forgotten about you!

One of my best gal pals just started up a blog so you should go check her out and leave her some lovin' because she's new to this and probably totally overwhelmed. Her name is Chelsea and you can find her at: I Came To Defeat Myself.

Now, it's picture time:

Allow me to explain... We let Kenny's parents' boxers and Brody out to play in the snow. Needless to say, they thouroughly enjoyed themselves. We went wheeling in the snow with Chelsea and Gary and let ourselves into unauthorized areas, courtesy of a key that Kenny just happened to have that unlocked the gates. Then we got trapped by a tree blocking the road and only had a small axe to chop it down with. The axe head flew off into the woods only a few chops in so we had to resort to pulling the tree off the road with the help of the Beast and a chain Kenny had in the bed of the truck. Good times. Yes, that is sun breaking through the clouds after our Extreme Winter Weather. Exciting, yes? We took Wyatt down to meet my "second family" and introduce him to what's going to be his best friend. Cameron is my best friends, sister's baby (are you still with me?) who was born TWO DAYS before Wyatt... he's obviously a preemie but look at the size difference! Amazing. They absolutely refused to look at each other; there was no acknowledgement whatsoever but little do they know they're gonna be homies. Katie and I had to get our pics taken with the little guys. Been besties for 17 LONG years and we're still going strong! :) How's your weekend been so far? (P.S. finally got power restored at my house last night... Kenny is still out unfortunately but at least he's got one bad ass generator that powers up the whole house).

Hostility - 1... Kristine - 0

2012-01-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

Have I told you guys how hostile all this "Washington Winter Freeze" has made me? Because I'm abouts to snap, yo. A few things...

1. It's called freezing rain for a reason, people, and when it hits the snow it causes ice. So yes, it's a little harder to drive in... it doesn't mean you can cruise the streets at 60mph and think it's all good.

2. Just because you have 4 wheel drive, doesn't mean it makes you're a bad ass. And a little word to the wise, 4x4's do NOT help you in the ice! Nothing helps in the ice but to drive with caution or not drive at all.

3. Trying to change lanes on the freeway in the slush and compact snow and ice isn't ideal. Try to stay in one lane. And while we're talking about the freeway, you may be able to get cut right into stand still traffic trying to get onto 405 on a normal day but in the snow? Sorry about your luck, sucka but it ain't gonna happen. And if it does happen? I'm HOPING you go sideways and wind up smashed up against a jersey barrier or end up in a ditch. Is that wrong? Just go with it people. Clearly, I want them to be O.K. geez.

Ok, moving on to yesterday's pictures. I was in a hurry and totally forgot to explain the pictures. Here's the low down:

Kenny and I went out driving in the snow and took some pretty landscape pictures (we truly do live in a beautiful place).

If you don't follow me on the Twit, then you probably aren't aware of what happened to me on my way home from work on Tuesday. Well, I was trucking right along and suddenly the Heap didn't wanna go anymore. I was revving that engine tough (come to find out that's bad?). Finally, Heap-ster had had enough. So I'm pulled off on a side road calling Kenny in a panic. He asked me if anything was leaking underneath the Heap... my exact words were, "Yes, it looks as though the Heap didn't come prepared with a tampon; she's had her period ALL over the snow." Conclusion of the story, as you can see in the pictures, Kenny brought a freaking jug of tranny fluid and we were good to go.

And then there's what I see out the window at my work.

In the two really blurry pictures, there's a ginormous tree down covering the road.

And then there's mi casa!

The end :)

It's The Apocalypse!

2012-01-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

....no, no it's not my friends. It's just a Western Washington snow storm. But you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

For those of you who haven't already heard, yes, Western Washington is experiencing our first snowfall of the winter season. And my God, you'd think the effing world was ending. If I have to see/hear/read the news all about "Washington Snow", I might slit my wrists. Just kidding, but you know what I mean. It's freaking annoying, man.

For those of you midwesterner's, east coasters, hell even Idaho and Montana-ians, you know all about this kind of weather and it's probably no big thang to ya'll. However, Western Washington-ians? Lemme holler atchu.

1. You don't know how to drive in the snow? What's to know? You go slow, keep a safe distance between you and the other cars, and for heaven's sakes don't slam on your brakes thinking it's gonna help.

2. Your car won't make it? Then WHY, pray tell, do you keep trying?! Finally decided to give up? Yes, please leave your abandoned car in the middle of the street... no, no. I insist.

3. When it doubt, STAY. HOME. If you don't trust yourself out in the snow, then I sure as hell don't want you out there on the roads putting MY life in danger. Have a snow day with your kids; go sledding, spike their hot chocolate, teach them how to make inappropriate snowmen, take a beater car and smash into all the snowmen you see on the side of the road, etc.

Ugh. Now that we're past my current annoyances... let's see how beautiful this place really is when it snows.

So... that's the Washington Snow for y'all. I'm off to wreak havoc with Kenny on our quads.And basically be a guy?

Try not to be too jealous.

Oh, So Pinteresting!

2012-01-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Linking up with Michelle for yet another edition of...

Let’s not waste any time with my useless babble.

Today’s pins are from my “Things That Make Me Go Awww” board:

You guys don’t even know how many times I’ve ~~bawled~~ cried tears of joy when I watch this video on YouTube.

If you haven’t seen it yet, I strongly recommend you watch it right now.

This shit just makes my heart melt. The homeless make me so sad and I want to help them whenever I see them on the street corner begging yet, I never know if it’s a scam or not. I am seriously considering keeping “homeless care packages” on hand whenever I come upon the less fortunate. It all just breaks my heart.

There is no doubt in my mind this WILL be my child. Someday.

“Sea otters hold hands when they sleep so they don’t drift away from each other.”

Goodness gracious, I heart me some otters. I could spend all day at the aquarium just watching these little guys.

Why yes, my child will in fact show mini horses. Duh.

“Just a reminder… you should never settle for just any guy but, rather, one who thinks you are the world and shows it with all his heart.”

This photo brings tears to my eyes and I’m filled with the warm and fuzzies.

A Marine and a Veteran embrace. There are no words for this photo but, if I had to chose a word to use, I’d use… remarkable.

MLK Day!

2012-01-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

HAPPY MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY!

Fun fact: Before Stephanie left our place of business for good, she had me change my desktop’s wallpaper to this exact picture. And that’s what it’s been until now. I don’t even want to talk about the looks I’ve gotten from other co-workers.

If you have the day off, much like myself, I hope you are all enjoying it! Me? I’m using this day off to get a massage and do team pictures with my volleyball team.

If you are having to work today then… sorry about your luck?

Sunday Sayings!

2012-01-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

I'm keeping this Sunday's post short and sweet by linking up with a new fave blogger, Bailey!

I’m obsessed with this saying. The first time I came across it was back when MySpace was just getting started (for those of you who can’t put that time period into perspective, let’s just say it was quite a few years ago). Whenever I need a boost of self-esteem, this saying has also been a good reminder of why I am the person I am today.

Top Five: Places to Visit

2012-01-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

I’ve kind of been going through a writer’s block, if you will but at the same time I’m not? Lemme explain. I feel the need to write but it seems I can’t get the words out in a way that makes sense to me, let alone all of my readers. There’s really no point to this story. Just thought you gals might like to know that tiddly bit of info.

I was trying to think back to the creative writing class I took in high school (which I LOVED, bee tee dub) and remember the lesson we had on “How to Overcome Writer’s Block”. Seriously. We had a lesson on it. And to be honest, it has managed to help me out now that I’m a big badass blogger chick. For those of you hoping that I go into detail about the topic at hand, I hate to break it to ya, but you’re gonna be let down. I don’t feel like hitting up Feather (you read that right. ‘Feather’ was my teachers name… try not to be too jealous) with a text, just to see if she’ll give me her lesson plan from 6 years ago. Ain’t gonna; ain’t gonna do it.

So that leads me to the topic I’ve come up with for today:

The Top 5 Places I Want to Visit in my Lifetime

Brilliant, right?

First up on my list?

French Polynesia

Um, duh? I mean, who wouldn’t want to have a vacay in a place of complete and utter tranquility and serenity? Hi, count me in.

Second:

Atlantis in the Bahamas

Okay, maybe it's just me but ever since watching that Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen movie... oh, what was it called? Holiday in the Sun, I think? I have wanted to visit this place. And that lucky hot mama we all know and love, Raven gets to go there in less than two months (may or may not have gotten that info from her bliggity blog... I guess one could classify that as 'stalking'). Not that I'm bitter or anything.

Third:

Vail, Colorado (or Aspen... I'd be cool with either one).

I can just picture myself “snow plowing” (I’m not a great skier but I love it… my knees? Not so much) all the way down the mountains runs and then settling in next to the fire with a spiked hot chocolate in my hand, after a long, adventurous day on the slopes. Pure. Adrenaline. (Name that commercial).

Fourth:

Capri, Italy

I’ve been a few places in Italy but nothing quite like what I see from Capri. It just seems breathtaking, judging by the pictures mind you, and I’d love an opportunity to visit. Italy in general has been one of my fave trips in life so far. Don’t even get me started with my obsession for gelato, thanks to that country. Seriously. My quota was at least 3 a day. #NoSkinniesIndeed.

New York City, New York

Oh, how I wish to visit New York. I feel it’s one of those cities like Las Vegas… you haven’t really lived until you’ve been to New York or Las Vegas. And I wanna live, damn it.

What are your top five places you want to visit?

Blog of the Month: December 2011

2012-01-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

I’ve decided to ‘spread the love’, if you will in the land of Blogger by starting up a Blog of the Month post.

Since we’re already well into January, I’ll be sharing who gets my vote for blog of the Month of December. Blog of the Month for January will be revealed at the end of the month so be on the lookout!

December 2011 Blog of the Month goes to…

Little Miss Sassy Pants, herself… Stephanie!

She might be one of the funniest bloggers that I’ve seen yet. No joke. Girlfriend has an uncanny knack for telling it like it is such as how she feels about people farting in church, or her thoughts on Nancy Drew.

Some of my favorite posts from her have been about the cop ride-alongs she’s been on. And it might make me laugh the most because A. she’s a fellow Washingtonian (holler at your girl), and B. she goes to college in a way small town where I happen to know quite a few people so I always wonder if, during these ride-along’s she gets the opportunity to meet some of Duvall/Carnation’s finest. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.

Stephanie, I love ya, girl! Keep on keeping on ;)

Go check her out!

I'm What One Might Call a Bookworm...

2012-01-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

In case you gals didn’t know, I absolutely HEART my Kindle Fire that I got from mommy and daddy dearest for Christmas. Truth be told, I never pictured myself to be the ‘e-reader type’ but while perusing Best Buy one day, I found myself enthralled with it! And as it would turn out, it’s much more than just an e-reader; it’s practically a cheaper and less extensive version of a tablet. Granted, it’s no iPad but it gets the job done. Except for when it comes to keeping volleyball stats. I may need to give into getting an iPad just for those kinds of specific apps. Is that pathetic or what?

Moving on.

Since receiving my Kindle Fire, I’ve been going through books like nobody’s business. I’m on my third book already and it’s only been what, like 16 or 17 days since Christmas? That’s a new reading record for me. Does anyone remember doing Read-A-Thons in elementary school? I lived for that damn challenge! They used to put all the students names on balloon-shaped laminated cards and, depending on how many books we read, our personal balloons would “travel” the “world” they had made up in one of our hallways. Yes, I remember those days vividly. Or how about AR (accelerated reading) tests? You read a book and then took a test on the computer about it and each book had a certain number of points? If I’m all alone on this, then please pay no attention to me. Bekah, I fully expect you to know what I’m talking about.

First book, I read on my Kindle Fire wasn’t one from my wish list; it was more of an impulse buy. Actually, the first three books have been impulse buys. I went into the Kindle store, in hopes of being able to access my wish list from Amazon (no such luck… going to have to figure that hiccup out), and saw these three books for dirt cheap and figured, why the hell not?

Book #1

Amazon’s product description:

The first time Georgia Fulton gets behind a microphone at her college radio station (because of a guy, of course…), she’s hooked. (Who would’ve thought she’d ever find a potential job where a boss would appreciate her big mouth?) Unfortunately, being a smart-mouth doesn’t necessarily keep her from getting hurt by one guy after another.

With help from her friends – and loyal listeners – will Georgia finally figure out the real deal about sex, love… and maybe even herself?

(CAUTION: While there are no explicit sex scenes in this book, sex is an important part of the plot for the characters.)

Um, first of all, I can’t believe Amazon really put that little disclaimer in there. I mean, really? Why don’t you let the reader find out for themselves what they are going to find in a book? Geez Louise.

I’ll be honest, this book wasn’t the greatest but, it was an “easy” read, so to speak. I pretty much flew through it. Obviously the title of Seattle Girl caught my eye but, the funny thing is, the author is WAY off when it comes to describing Seattle. The one thing that really stood out to me was the mention of Saks Fifth Avenue. The city of Seattle does NOT have a Saks. I want to make that clear to anyone who reads this book and comes to the rainy city in hopes of being able to shop at a Saks if need be.

Out of five stars? I’d give it a 3. It was nothing special.

Book #2

Amazon’s book description:

The Bitch-Proof Suit is a sparkling and exciting novel, brimming with romance, humor, friendship, rivalry, Irish cocktails and scandalous behavior. When Blue (Bluebell) Byrne is up against the odds in the world of New York fashion marketing, she needs the ultimate in accessories – a bitch-proof suit. Her marketing experience has helped her create the perfect suit. She had it made by bespoke tailors, cut with twice the precision at half the price. No labels, no trends, just sheer cutting edge class. The story starts in Manhattan. Blue is about to put her suit to the ultimate test when she vies against a boardroom full of conniving business rivals to win the top job assignment – to work in the company’s office in Dublin, Ireland, and settle a few scores at the same time. The suit, her negotiating skills and gusty determination helps Blue win the job. Within hours she sets off for Dublin. It’s the one place she swore she’d never go back to. Six years ago she’d left that city behind, along with Morgan Daire, the man who broke her heart, sure she’d never return. It had almost destroyed her once, but hell… she loves a challenge! She’ll be working with the unspeakably glamorous and influential Verde Valmont, and Verde’s Irish assistant, Emer. Blue will also be facing up to the formidable Dubliner, Morgan Daire, the man whose past is inexorably linked with hers. Then there’s her friend, Dublin designer, Murphy, an incorrigible rogue whose flirting causes jealousy and all sorts of trouble. She also encounters the sexy and handsome Sears Pearson, a New York coolhunter. The Bitch-Proof Suit did actually exist. The author, De-ann Black, designed and wore it several years ago when living and working in Dublin, and it served its purpose brilliantly.

Well, as you can tell that’s quite the write up for a book. I mean, I guess the book was O.K. It’s definitely not something to write home about, no pun intended. I feel the author tried to describe everything a little too much when it really wasn’t needed. She also makes her main character out to look like some sort of sleazy whore in a way. Maybe it’s just me that sees that, though. I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes clean, light-hearted chic lits. I think the one thing I really enjoyed was that the setting was someplace other than London or the US of A.

Out of five stars? I’d give it a 4.

Book #3

Amazon’s book description:

Madison Lee is a fresh college grad, ready to take on the world of print media. But she has zero luck landing a job. Unemployment is at ten percent on the rise. Desperate and left with no other options, she accepts a position as a service rep at a call center in Pocatello, Idaho. At the Lightning Speed call center in Spudsville, Maddy plunges into the wild and dysfunctional world of customer service where Sales is prided over Service and an eight hour shift is equivalent to eight hours of callers bashing her over the phone. Oh sure, the calls are bad. But Maddy manages to find humor on the phone and off the phone. And with all the salacious drama behind the calls, there is never a dull moment at the Lightning Speed call center.

Lately… Maddy has been pinning for her smolderingly gorgeous co-worker Mika Harket. Now things are heating up on the phone – and elsewhere. Don’t hang up on this novel. Working at a call center has never been this garish… or delightful

***DISCLOSURES: If you find the politically incorrect shows like The Office, South Park and Chelsea Lately detestable, juvenile and offensive, then this book is probably NOT for you.

Really, Amazon? Again with the disclaimer? Ugh, talk about annoying.

Here’s the deal… I truly thought this was going to be a good read. Clearly, I was only fooling myself. This is probably one of the worst written books I’ve read in a long time and yet, I’m still reading it because it’s not one of those books that I can just stop reading before finishing. I’m holding out to the end with this book and keep hoping that maybe, just maybe the writing will get a little bit better. But I’m not holding my breath.

Out of five stars? I’d give it a 2. Seriously. I don’t recommend this book at all.

It feels so good to be a bookworm again :)

Our First Full Day With Wyatt

2012-01-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, we got to spend the day with the Wy-Guy and even though I had completely shut down from being social in any way (due to a fight that broke out between me and Kenny that morning), I have to say the day went fairly well.

I think it's safe to say that he's got quite the personality. He's learning that he has a tongue and he was trying real hard to roll over with us. UPDATE: he rolled over on his own two days ago. Way to go, duder!

Getting To Know My New Toy :)

2012-01-10T17:10:00.000-08:00

And by toy, I am obviously talking about my camera. I'm not very good at it yet (Kenny reminds me how he's so much better at it... show off) but, I'm getting it. Of course, I had to use my dogs (and a family member) as my guinea pigs. Duh.

This duder was ALL about getting his picture taken. This was one of the good ones out of many attempts.

O hai. Iz a weenr dawg.

Bailey the Basset.

Ginger the Bitch. Or Golden Retriever.

Brody Bear... being a shy guy.

And that's what I got so far. Like I said, I'm not very good at this fancy schmancy camera but I'm learning.

Jesus, Take The Wheel

2012-01-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

I think the stress of this whole baby situation has finally hit me. It’s been a month since finding out that Kenny has a child with another girl and I still haven’t seemed to get passed the feeling of guilt and the grieving of the loss of what we had planned for our lives together. It seems over these past two weeks, my emotions have been all over the place. Who’s to say that’s not just Marv’s doing? We may never know. I have a post explaining Marv somewhere in this blog of mine yet I can’t seem to find it. Sorry about your luck?

It would seem as though all this stress has caused a spike in my body temperature because as of late, I’ve been sweating like cray cray for no particular reason. I figure it’s either the stress or I’m just ridiculously out of shape… I’m not okay with either possibility, to be frank.

So last night, after my 13 hour day of volleyball (I know it just comes with the job of being a volleyball coach so I’m really doing my best not to complain because in all actuality I really enjoy it but, I’d rather have a 13 hour day of playing volleyball than spend all that time sitting on my ass taking stats and cheering), I told Kenny I wanted to talk.

If you follow me on the Twit, you know that Saturday was a rough day for me. It was a great day because I got to see Wyatt (Kenny was able to spend the whole day with him) but a bad day because of the never-ending arguments that Kenny and I have been in. I spent the whole day not saying more than a few words here and there, even when we went to visit our best friends and Kenny’s grandparents.

I feel, lately, that me and Kenny’s relationship hasn’t been strengthening necessarily but deteriorating. It seems as though we aren’t “on the same page” about anything. I put a lot of the blame on myself, though. I’ve got one of those personalities where I need to be in control. Now, I’m not saying I want to control everything about Kenny and our relationship but I’m not used to being with someone who is more than capable of making his own, quite logical decisions (though you’d think after 5 years of this on and off, I’d be able to figure it out). I feel helpless and stressed to the max when I don’t have control over something. Finances is a big one for me. I’ve been working in banking for about 6 years now and I feel I’ve gotten a pretty good grasp on how the financial world works (well, how the banking world works at least) and all I ask is that he lets me pay the freaking bills! I need structure! I need to know where our money goes! I’m not saying I want to be in charge of his money and never allow him to touch it but… I don’t know. Maybe I’m out of line in my thinking when it comes to finances but I don’t know how to fix it if I am. I’ve heard the advice and I try to take it but it would seem that it really is easier said than done.

Sorry, I kind of got off on a tangent there. But it all coincides with me and Kenny’s conversation late last night. I’m starting to second guess the decision I’ve made to stay with Kenny through all this. Questions have started to arise and nightmares have been occurring; what if I can’t do this? What if I say I can now and I take the plunge into this sudden new life with him and realize a few months or years later that I feel the need to run? Why am I starting to question all of this suddenly?

I hear the horror stories of what it’s like to be a stepmom and I can honestly say, I’m scared shitless… I really don’t know if I can handle the fact that I won’t have a say in how this child is raised. I don’t know if I have the strength to bite my tongue when things are done and said that I don’t agree with. The worst part about all of this is, I promised myself I was better than this. I took some great strides over this past year in turning my life around and making myself be a better person than I had been over the past few years. I’ve stood up to my fears and challenged myself to put trust into people which have been some of the hardest things I’ve ever done but I managed to survive it. Wouldn’t that make one feel stronger? Because I don’t feel stronger. I still feel scared. And I’m paranoid, my GOD am I paranoid. I’ve put forth my best effort in forgiving Kenny (and forgiving myself, for that matter) for all that had happened between him and Wyatt’s mother and I was finally able to stop dwelling on all of the bullshit but it’s like the flood gates holding back my fear of trust opened up again when this bomb was dropped a month ago. I find that I’m back to wanting to and actually going forward with snooping through his phone, not believing that he’s telling me the truth. I’ve been known to over-analyze EVERYTHING and in this situation, it’s no different. And I know all of my feelings and my analysis’s doesn’t do anything but hurt me and Kenny’s relationship but as of this current moment, I don’t know how to stop it.

Kenny told me last night that I’ve managed to turn this situation into being all about myself. It’s not something that I was trying to do, obviously but I can see where he’s coming from. I’ve been researching all the steps he needs to take and all the forms that need to be filled out and what not and I’ve been pushing him to get things done like yesterday. I’m the type of person who gets January’s schedule for volleyball and needs February’s the next day; I’m a freak about being proactive and when others aren’t as proactive as me (especially when it somewhat concerns my life as well), then I go crazy.

Here’s the deal: I don’t want to lose Kenny. Plain and simple. Sure I’ve said that about ex’s in the past but in all honesty, he’s the only one that’s been worth it and that I actually mean when I say it. He’s the only one who’s been able to make the biggest, most positive difference in my life and I don’t feel it’s worth the risk of losing because there’s a chance I won’t ever find anyone like him, or better than him for that matter. I wholeheartedly believe that we are meant to be; that he’s The One for me. Whatever situation has ever come up between us, we’ve been able to get through it and trust me when I say, there’s been a handful of real tough ones so who’s to say we can’t make it through this?

Right now, I just need support. I need prayers. I need to know that I CAN make it through this and that me and Kenny CAN have a happy life together, even if that happy life’s plans that we had made are altered a bit. I need to know that everything is in fact going to be O.K. Because right now, I’m teetering and I’m scared that with my emotional instability and my personality, we won’t be able to make things work between us.

I’ve always believed in the saying ‘everything happens for a reason’… but I think I’m going to be searching for the reason to this situation taking place for a while. At what point do I call off the search party for that reason?

Eff, Marry, Kill

2012-01-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

I'm linking up with two of my fave gals, Heather and Michelle for...

Here's who's in the starting line-up this week:
That's right... some of my fave One Tree Hill boys! And where do they rate with me? Eff... I gotta go with Nathan. Here's the deal... during the first few seasons, I wanted nothing more than to punch this tool right in the gnards and while he's keeled over screaming, "WHYYYYY!!!???" I'm gonna say, "You know why." -- Name that movie. But then Nathan turned into awesome mode which made this choice of mine a no-brainer. Marry... Going with Clay on this one. He's the real deal. Sure, he had his party days and got with every chick in sight but enter Haley's sister, Quinn who's a fracking bombshell and HELLO! Clay turns into one helluva guy. Therefore, getting my stamp of approval for the married vote. Kill... ah, last but not least, Luke. I decided I'd kill him because well, he kinda turned into a dud. Actually, he was always kind of a dud to me. Don't get me wrong, he's got the looks going for him but I liked him so much better when he was the wild and crazy Luke dating Brooke. But he had to give into to his damn literature mumbo-jumbo and that's when I had to pull the plug. The sensitive side just isn't my cup of tea. Who would you eff, marry, and kill?

Oh, So Pinteresting!

2012-01-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gents, it's that time of the week we all know and love... Pinteresting Wednesday's! You bet your sweet back side I'm linking up with the lovely Michelle on this fantabulous hump day for some pinteresting-finds.

Someone get me this. Stat. Having my own tractor to ride around in has gone from a "want" to a "NEED" in matter of seconds.

Whatever bitch thought of this... is a fracking genius. And I fully intend on being just like her.

Um, is that a goat she's holding? What the hump is wrong with this people?! You guys, try not to be too mean... this is my aunt and uncle...

So get Allstate and get covered from mayhem... like me. That's a lie. I don't really have Allstate. I have Farmers. And they're pretty rad. all photos via Pinterest

2012 Resolutions

2012-01-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

Dear 2012,

I'm gonna make you my bitch.

Resolution #1:

-- Oral Hygiene --

I'm sick of going to the dentist and having them nag me for my lack of flossing. Therefore, I'm taking the bull by the horns this year and fully intend on flossing every day, TWICE a day. And while I'm on the topic, I'm going to make it a personal goal to brush my teeth twice a day as well. I normally do it once a day, in the morning before work, but I've decided that it really needs to be done at night, too.

Resolution #2:

-- Health --

I don't want to sound like a broken record by saying, "My new year's resolution is to diet and exercise on a regular basis in order to lose weight," so here's what I've got: I'd like to maintain my weight and stick to a more structured diet. I seem to stray the most on weekends so that's definitely something I'd like to get under control.

I also don't feel like keeling over from a heart attack any time soon so I'm going to force myself to take my fish oil pills (yuck) every day, TWICE a day. That way my heart is happy and so is my doctor.

"Don't sweat the small stuff" (too much) is a motto I'd like to live by this year. But then again, how do I differentiate what's small and what's not?

Resolution #3:

-- Miscellaneous --

It's time that I really but my personal safety first therefore, I'm refraining from texting/tweeting/etc. while driving. No, I did not necessarily break this promise to myself today... I merely texted someone back while sitting at a stop light. That's not cheating, is it?

Since I've been living at home, I've relied on my parents for food and shelter (ha, I talk like I'm homeless). But seriously, I want to give back. So I'm taking it upon myself to do a better job at helping out around the house while I'm still living here which entails watching Charles more and cooking at least once a week. I've picked Thursday's as my night to cook, seeing as how I've got volleyball every other day of the week it seems.

Well folks, those are my resolutions... for now. You never know... things may change. And when I say "change" I mean that I may add more.

Forgive me if I don't get around to commenting on your blogs as much... or even get my own posts up that often. Today is the start of school, and year end at work... oh and my favorite manager is leaving on Thursday. Okay, so she's my only manager but, still. It's gonna be hectic for a bit. Oh, that reminds me! Another resolution is to blog as much as possible :)

GIVEAWAY IS COMING... GET EXCITED.

Yo, 2012.

2012-01-02T23:26:00.000-08:00

I'm really not feeling motivated today.

Hope everyone had a great NYE.

I know I sure did.

Want photos to prove it?

Okay.

I had mixed my cold medicine with alcohol. I don't recommend doing this. Don't mind the whole droopy-eyed look you'll see from me in pictures.

We were bored waiting for the shuttle, obviously.

After our ~~many~~ few drinks, we found we had lost track of what day it was therefore, having to give into the casino's "fine dining", instead of the Land & Sea Buffet. For the record, we probably should have never been allowed in that restaurant.

Going with the whole 'no-bra' look. Seemed to work in my favor.

...like I said, we should have never been allowed in this fine dining establishment.

The boys found one of the hottest chicks in the building... besides their actual dates, of course.

Again, with the droppy eyes. Ugh, good news is, I'm slowly recovering from my cold.

Kenny and I also took some time to play around with my new camera. Turns out he's way better at it than me therefore, I'm not sharing them with y'all quite yet. Have patience. It'll be worth it, I swear.

See Ya Next Year, Bitches!

2011-12-30T04:00:00.000-08:00

Well ladies, this will be my last post of 2011. Weird to think I just started blogging earlier this year although it seems I've been doing this for years. And I wouldn't change it for the world!

Kenny and I are headed to Ocean Shores with our friends Chelsea and Gary for some gambling, drinking, and being beach bums... not that the weather on the Washington Coast allows us to be said "bums" but you get the idea.

Ah, beautiful Ocean Shores...

Yes, this is absolutely where we're staying. We keep it classy, yo. Don't act like you're not impressed.

And this is where we'll be partying. And hopefully Chelsea doesn't get me kicked out... again. Seriously. This has happened.

Happy New Year everyone!

A Year In Review: 2011

2011-12-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

Ah, 2011... It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Literally. From ending things with Jimmy to almost losing Kenny to re-building an even stronger relationship with Kenny to finding out Kenny's a father. Yeah, I think it's safe to say it's been one helluva a year.

Let's talk about how it all went down.

JANUARY

Rang in the new year with two of my favorites at the Top of the Cock. Yes, that sure was the name of the bar party we attended.

FEBRUARY

was a shitty month... and nothing exciting happened.

Went muddin'... at least once.

Coached a lot of volleyball.

MARCH

was yet another shitty month

Spent a drunken night with these crazy asses.

Coached a lot of volleyball... of course.

APRIL

Went to California for a volleyball tournament with my volleyball team... and hit up Disneyland! I don't do roller coasters but I will do most of the coasters in Disneyland.

MAY

Celebrated Kenny's birthday in downtown Seattle (a rarity for us) at one of our favorite restaurants: Hard Rock Cafe.
Oh, fun fact. This is also the month that I started blogging :)

JUNE

Took Frankie to Doxie's on Parade...

Went riding at the Oregon sand dunes.

JULY

Had a great time with some of my favorite girls on the 4th... well, until all hell broke loose.

Spent my birthday in Vegas with some of my favorites!

AUGUST

My best friend got married to the man of her dreams.

SEPTEMBER

Went to the Rodeo!

OCTOBER

Had a kick-ass Halloween as Goose and Maverick

NOVEMBER

Spent Thanksgiving morning with my best friend's family

DECEMBER

was a pretty shitty month...

Met Kenny's son and spent Christmas Eve with him

How did 2011 treat y'all?

Pin Up!

2011-12-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

I love the shit out of this link up. Let's be honest, it is almost like a group session for all of us Pinterest addicts.

"Hi, my name is Kristine and I'm addicted to Pinterest."

"Hi, Kristine."

See? Don't you feel better already?

Moving right along... are you linking up today?

Now, I may bitch about my life but I mean, it's once in a while and typically I'm being sarcastic. But there's a handful of people I really wish I could say this to sometimes.

I should really listen to this more often.

MmmMmmmMmmm... ain't that the truth?

Oh Jimmy Brooks. You always know just what to say to pull me in a little more.

I really need to remember this. I'm a HUGE grudge holder.

How fitting for this upcoming New Year :) all photos via Pinterest GIVEAWAY IS COMING!!

What to do the day after Christmas...

2011-12-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

Go wheeling, of course! Ladies and gents, this was my first time driving while wheeling and let me tell you, it was a thrill. Although, Kenny wouldn't let me do anything too cray cray with what he likes to call his "daily driver" (or the 'heap' as I so lovingly refer to it), Chelsea and I still managed to have a great time while the boys were, well, boys.

Girls in their Heap...

...and boys in their Beast.

Beautiful waterfall in the middle of the woods.

Gary obviously channeling his inner Ax Men.

Waterfall

Kenny was literally peeing within 20 feet of us. We had a full view of his "stream". Try not to be too jealous.

The view from the top.

"Babe! Let's get an pretend engagement photo on the power pole!" You bet your sweet ass I'm rocking that Carhartt.

Didn't realize until just now that Chelsea is cupping the balls. This is why we are best friends.

I guess I did venture out for a bit. Only to Target though, where I was anticipating a huge line for returns and was pleasantly surprised when I showed up and found only 3 people in line. I was in and out of there faster than you can say "Bob's your uncle." (Got that line from one of my favorite Disney movies... who can name it?).

REMINDER! Got a great giveaway coming your way when I reach the big 2-0-0! And when I say big, I mean BIG. I mean, my last giveaway was a freaking $50.00 giftcard to Target so I mean I ain't gonna hold out on y'all.

Holiday Hiatus: 2011

2011-12-26T11:08:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to reality, everyone! Life after the holidays... well, I guess we still have to get through next weekend but, I think we'll manage.

I've been gone for a few days (as some of you may have noticed) and I refuse to even open my Google Reader. I can only imagine how many blogs I need to catch up on. But you know how it goes; the holiday's wind up getting the best of us. I hope all of you enjoyed your Christmas adventures with you friends and family and for all my Jewish readers... I hope you all had (or are still having? I can never remember the timeline) a great Hanukkah.

What all have I been up to these past 4 days? Well, I'm glad you asked, my friends. Let me start by saying, this weekend has been a tough one for me. For those of you wondering, no. I did NOT get engaged (unlike some of you lucky bitches) but, at the same time I wasn't really expecting it because he knows I don't want to be proposed to in some cliche way on a holiday; I want it to be a random day that turns into a special one -- no offense to those of you who got engaged on a holiday and/or birthday.

Christmas Eve, we got to spend time with Kenny's son, Wyatt Dean -- cue 'tough' day for me... but at the same time, a great day. (Prepare for the ultimate photo dump, people):

Schweepy boy.
Father and son. First picture together.
Oh hai. Iz hungry.

Schweepy again.
Taking a break from the chaos.
Hot DAYYYUUMM. Look at that handsome fuck. The Ginger-ness was in full affect at that age, clearly.
Iz happy after my nap!
First photo together.
Kenny's cousin. A.K.A. A spitting image of a present-day Cindy Lou Who.

Step-Grandma with baby.
Step-Great Grandma
Um, maaaam? I wantz baby seat, kay?
What an asshole. It was a hard day for me to get through but I put on my brave face and it actually went better than expected. I have to admit I was a little sad to see him go back to his mom for the night. Christmas Day didn't disappoint.

"Next time I'm in church, please no photos."

An extremely blurry pic of our tree.

Do I get presents, too? Yes, of course he got a present. He got a whole can of Bapos... aka raquetballs.

Look at this greedy dude.

Super pumped about this Thomas pillow pet.

Yes, his shirt definitely says 'I came to get my balls wet'... what an asshole.

Oh what did ya get, Ken? Goggles? Hmm, I wonder what else you're getting...

Oh what?! Riding pants?

Footy PJ's! Jackpot!

Ah, I see what's going on here...

Digital photo frame. Looking good, Kristine. Dad's obviously a professional photographer.

Yeah, I gots boots! Fanks for all the gifts! Oh, wanna know what all I got? Well, let's just say I made out like a fracking bandit, people. First up, Kenny got me this little guy...

No big deal, right? Holy S-word. I'm excited. Obviously I have used it yet. I'm a little intimidated of it to be honest.

Seahawk jammies from my BFFL

A new NorthFace... seeing as how I lost the one Kenny gave me. Whoops?

New LuLu's! You can never have enough. If I could live in these, I would.

A close-up of my footy PJ's. Super stoked about them. Let's see what else did I get but didn't take pictures of because I'm an epic failure? -- 2 pairs of black boots! You can never have enough.-- Kenny went all out with a HUGE Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue gift box. Love that scent.-- Money from the g-ma. Can't go wrong with money.-- and finally... a Kindle Fire! I'm in love. I think that's just about everything I got? Oh wait, Kenny's got something on the way for me. Seriously, he went all out you guys (well, except for the whole ring deal). He got me Adobe Photoshop! What a guy, I tell ya. I guess I'll keep him around for a little while, at least. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!! Looks as though I'm fairly close to 200 followers and even though I know blogging isn't necessarily a "number" game, I want to show y'all how grateful I am that you follow me so I'll be doing QUITE the giveaway when I reach that number. So pimp out my blog if you wanna see what I'm gonna give away, ladies. I promise, you won't regret it. Love you all!

Shout Outs!

2011-12-22T08:25:00.000-08:00

I need to thank some amazing bloggers today!

First up, Mia! You are too kind! Thanks for awarding my blog!

Next up, Lauren! She's made me her Blog of the Week! Thanks doll face! And to the rest of you who have been so supportive and have given me a shoulder to lean on through these hard times I'm going through... THANK YOU!! You truly have no idea how much I love you gals. All the emails and tweets and comments that have been sent to me really brings tears of joy to my eyes... I never imagined I would "meet" people who were so caring. Even some of my closest friends aren't as caring as you all have been.

It's Party Time!

2011-12-21T11:14:00.000-08:00

This morning at work, we had a breakfast potluck/cookie exchange/ugly sweater party. And only about 11 people participated out of like, 25. And only like 5 of us wore ugly Christmas. So of course, I won a prize. I may or may not have threatened my co-workers to vote for me... or else.

Our Breakfast Buffet
Smoothie Bar!
Coooookiiiieeesss! Mine are in the red box and were DAMN good. Thanks to mom for offering to make them for me. I don't even want to talk about how many I've had. Lay off, it's the freaking holidays, man!
This was my gift from Stephanie... "Frostings"!! Seriously you guys, try this drink. You won't regret it.
Had to get a funny pose in.
My damn old-woman knees kept giving out but at least I held the pose. And her... I'm not sure what she's got going on in this photo.
The clan for our AM Adventures
Looking good. Checking out that headband, yo! And the bell? Dayyyuuummm. Oh and my sweater has bells attached to it. So I mean, I'm pretty decked out. I will say it's not as good as our sweaters last year:

Christmas Sweaters... circa 2010. Seriously though... Best. Christmas. Sweaters. EVER. Oh and what did my sweater win me? A cake pop kit. Which is perfect seeing as how I've been contemplating trying to test my cake pop making abilities lately. But let's be honest, I'm not Martha-Fucking-Stewart, here.

Kristine & Kenny's Romantical One-Night Getaway

2011-12-19T08:31:00.000-08:00

Kenny wasn't able to keep the surprise from me very long, seeing as how he told me where he was taking me shortly after asking me if I wanted to get away for the night.

Here's where he took me...

Yeeeeaahhhh. So I mean, nothing fancy or anything, right? Frack. This place was top of the line, folks. It's called Semiahmoo Resort and it sits on the outskirts of Blaine & Birch Bay, WA. For those of you not from these parts, it's pretty much at the border of Canada (seriously, you can see the Peace Arch and the border crossing from the resort... it's just to the right of the resort). And it's only like 2 hours or so from where I live. Kenny had to work late so I packed up some clothes for him... do I need to mention that I had to break into his house in order to this? No big deal. Easy peasy for a con-artist much like myself. We wound up taking some backroads to get to the resort and we kept looking at the navigation and saying, "Um, are we sure we're in the right place?" We knew we were heading in the right direction when we started seeing gated communities along the bay with million dollar houses. And now, time for a photo dump:

Had to get some shots of the scenary... and the wedding party.

The lobby
A really poor quality picture of their Christmas tree
Just the "wing" to our room. Yes, that's Kenny outside the door.
Welcome to our room.
Because who doesn't want to know what the bathroom looked like?

Where all of our rockus lovemaking would occur.

Apparently, we landed in Canada and were completely unaware?

The view from our room.

That's Canada, out there in the distance. So close, you could almost touch it.

Just another view from our room.

My OOTN. A little dark, but you get the jist of the outfit.
Kenny trying to shy away from the camera. I'm like the paparazzi, yo!

Real dark picture because A. Kenny wouldn't let me turn the flash on and B. he wouldn't let me ask the waitress who was just standing there watching us, take our picture.
I'll have a Golden Apple and for the boy? A Coors. Again, with the flash Nazi.
Oh, Cri-mas tree... oh, Cri-mas tree!

Just hanging in my plush bathroom, courtesy of Semiahmoo Resort, while Kenny showers.

Showing off my killer makeup skills... not.

Ah, the finished product.

My OOTD.

Kenny wanted to participate in showing off his OOTD.

The place we went for coffee and breakfast sammies. Kenny may have been annoyed because I couldn't remember where exactly this place was located but once we got there and he realized how amazing it was, he let all of his annoyance's go. I win :)

Seriously, cutest coffee shop EVER. And its in a park... right on the water... and it's got the best coffee EVER.

Sittin' on the dock of the bay... Had some random stranger take this photo... He did a real good job. Props, dude. He may have gotten a high five for this. And that was our romantical getaway. If y'all are waiting for me to say, "And then he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife..." You are going to have to keep waiting because that didn't happen. Although, I was anticipating it the whole time. Speaking of people getting engaged, my best friend got engaged over the weekend and I couldn't be more happy for her and her man! It did make me a little sad though because that's supposed to be me and Kenny getting engaged but, since this bomb was dropped on us three weeks ago... plans have since changed. Maybe he'll propose and we'll just have a longer engagement? Wishful thinking on my part? Whatever. A girl can dream, right? Hope everyone had an amazing weekend!

Surprise Getaway?

2011-12-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

Kenny texted me this morning asking if I want to "get away" tonight.

I'm not sure what all that entails but it's supposed to be a surprise I guess. However he just gave it away and said he's talking me to a really nice resort up in Bellingham. But I don't know what the plans are.

Stay tuned for pictures and updates.

You Can Put The Blame On...

2011-12-15T10:12:00.000-08:00

BLOG-LAND!

I saw Tara over at Fabulous But Evil share some things she has become addicted to, thanks to being a blogger and thought it was a great idea! Be sure to check out her blog and see what she blames fellow bloggers for.

I blame all you hookers for getting me addicted to such things like:

I've since realized how much I love makeup and thanks to everyone who has been raving about E.L.F., I am scary close to being considered a makeup-hoarder.

I think every blogger (at least all the ones I follow) has obtained this addiction. It's not like we can help it, though. I mean, Pinterest provides hours upon hours of sheer entertainment for those who are super duper bored, whether that be at home or work... or maybe even during rush-hour traffic. If you haven't jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon yet, let me know and I'll send you an invite. If you're already on Pinterest and you don't follow me yet, then what the hell are you waiting for?

I don't really use this website as much as I used to anymore, but blogging has definitely made me more self-conscious about the way I dress and what I wear. Granted, I'm not necessarily into fashion like some of you gals are but, I do take note of what not to wear and what goes with what, etc.

Yes, I think I could make this outfit happen.

Ah, Twitter. Since I haven't had Facebook in what seems like forever (been "clean" since February of this year), I turned to blogging... which inevitably caused me to turn to Twitter. I LOVE Twitter. It's been one of the best ways to keep up wtih sports, news; whether it's local, nationwide, or entertainment, etc. If you're ready to take the plunge and ditch Facebook, us Tweeps will be here to welcome you with open arms.

All in all, thank you blog-land, for creating my new addictions. Hey, at least it's not drugs, right? It could be worse.

Oh, That's Pinteresting!

2011-12-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

Well it's been awhile but here I am, linking up with the oh-so-adorbs Michelle for...

I think now would be a great time for some comedic relief, don't ya think? Enjoy!

Seriously, there's a few people I wouldn't mind saying this to, however I don't feel the reprecautions would be worth it.

If this was my child, he'd get a fist bump for this. No joking.

Hells. Yes. This is freaking amazing.

SERIOULSY. Where can I find this sticker and hand them out in the masses?

So trying to figure this one out took me a while... look REAL closely. It'll make ya jump when you find out. Kris Kross'll make ya, JUMP JUMP. Something like that.

If you're a 90's kid, you can relate to this. If not... it's still kinda funny.

Just Some Thoughts.

2011-12-13T12:23:00.000-08:00

I have to apologize. I haven't been a very good blogger lately. My posts have been on the sadz side lately, for good reason, obviously. I promise I'll get back on track.

Oh, and sorry I have no pictures lately. I should've taken pictures of Kenny's room prior to beginning Operation: Clean-dom in there. But I didn't. Sorry about your luck.

On a lighter note, things are getting better every day. Thanks to those of you who have been so supportive. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you really have no idea how truly grateful I am for you all and how much it means to me to have you gals there.

I hope to have a picture of Wyatt to put up here by the end of the month. We will have him on Christmas Eve for sure. Our friends and family have been so supportive of the two of us and again, we are so thankful.

Kenny and I are most thankful to have each other and to be able to lean on each other during these hard times. We never thought we'd be living a life like this but, here we are and we're preparing to deal with whatever may come with it.

Love you all. Back tomorrow for some Pinterest goodies?

Just Another Manic Monday...

2011-12-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

There's not really much to say this morning. My weekend was jam-packed which definitely helped to take my mind off things.

Friday

Worked. Let me re-phrase that: was at work. How much work I actually got done is the question. Which is not a lot. I spent most of my time reading blogs, surfing CraigsList, pinning on Pinterest, shopping on Amazon, etc.

Went home to change and packed up a weekend bag. Stood around at Papa Murphy's and provided entertainment for the people making my pizza and the people anxiously awaiting their food.

Got to Kenny's. Ate our dinner (cooked to perfection thanks to Kenny). Went to Target and looked at baby stuff. Back to Kenny's and in bed by 8:00pm. Try not to be too jealous of our Friday night adventures.

Saturday

Got up early. Drove down to my house to give my dad a receipt he failed to grab from me the day before. Sat around at Kenny's with the pitty pup, read a magazine, and watched Law and Order: SVU while Kenny helped his dad in the yard/garage for a bit.

Went to the bank. Had some lunch. Killed time at the casino (read: lost $250 total).

Went to my best friend's brother and SIL's house for dinner and family time. It was craziness. Got a lot of support and kind words from them.

Stopped by Chelsea and Gary's place to watch some TV and talk about Wyatt. Got some more good advice and support.

Got into an argument on the way home. Stayed up for a while and duked it out.

Got woken up around 2:45am to find that Brody was really sick to his stomach. Forced myself to refrain from puking while helping Kenny clean it up.

Sunday

Got up around 10:30am (which NEVER happens), thanks to our late night/early morning.

Started to clean Kenny's room. Got most of the closet done.

Had some toast then went to a volleyball officiating clinic for two hours.

Went to Target and got some picture frames (for the pictures of Wyatt that we have), and a side table for Kenny's many electronics. Ran into some close friends I hadn't seen in a while. Filled them in on what was going on. Got some more amazing support.

Got back to Kenny's, had dinner, dusted a little bit, then called it a day when it comes to cleaning (Tuesday's project: clothes).

Ordered lots of baby stuff off Amazon (with free shipping, thanks to the BFF's SIL's invite to Amazon Prime!).

Went to bed around 9:00pm

The End.

Gotta give a shout out to my vballer's. Because they asked me to. So... HEY GIRL HEY!

P.S. Kenny and I obviously have not had the last 10 months to prepare for Wyatt so we are in need of um... everything? If you have any baby boy stuff that you are looking to get rid of, please let me know! We'd really appreciate it!

Bahumbug?

2011-12-09T12:26:00.000-08:00

I don’t have much to say these days, except to tell you all about the shit that’s been happening over the past week or so and I’m sure y’all are getting sick of hearing my sob story by now.

Considering all this shit has kind of put a damper on my ‘Christmas Cheer’, I figured maybe if I try out this Christmas Quiz I’ve seen popping up all over BlogLand, I might be jolly again. To a certain extent, mind you.

Without further ado… The Christmas Quiz (via Kai over at All Kinds of Complicated)

1. Eggnog or hot chocolate? Um, hot chocolate, duh. Eggnog = VOM.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Oh, he wraps EVERYTHING. I mean, I understand he’s a busy guy but what would Christmas be without unwrapping beautifully put together presents?!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Personally, I think the white lights on houses make them look so super classy but they’ve got to have a little pop of color. I go back and forth when it comes to colored lights on our tree. I like the look of both, depending on the tree and where it’s located in the house and what not. There’s so many deciding factors.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Sadly, we have never hung mistletoe. I don’t even think I’ve ever seen mistletoe up close and personal. Perhaps this is something I should put on my bucket list: “find mistletoe and get kissed under it.”

5. When do you put your decorations up? It’s different every year. Sometimes, mom and I do it on Black Friday but other years we wait until sometime in mid December. This year is looking like we’re not even going to get all our decorations out. #Sadz.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? I triple LOVE ham and scalloped potatoes. I could eat that shit every damn day, for serious.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? It’s something I do every year still to this day, but I love being in charge of handing out the presents from under the tree. And every time I find one with my name on it, I get a little giddy while I throw it into my pile.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What about Santa? He is real, isn’t he?

I kid, I kid. I was in the bathroom during recess one day in elementary school and while my friends and I discussed our excitement about Santa coming, some older girls told us how stupid we were for believing in Santa still. I. Was. Ruined. Not really. I don’t even think it bothered me when my parents told me the ugly truth.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Not typically. When we were younger, we would get a gift from extended family members that we only see on Christmas so we got to open those goodies but, that’s about it.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Well, it’s kind of hard with Charles… mainly because he feels the need to rip every ornament off the tree. So, we have to decorate with care and not place too many ornaments near the base of the tree. Otherwise, it’s quite a nice little tree :)

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! I love driving in it but I don’t trust other drivers. And I love playing in it… sledding, skiing, etc. Love it all.

12. Can you ice skate? Not well but I give it my all. And I stay very close to the wall… much like a small child would. And if ever I feel like I’m going to fall, I have no problem grabbing on to the closest thing I can to brace myself… even if that does involve bringing a little kid down with me.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Well this has already been discussed in a previous post. I truly love each and every gift I’ve ever received but the one that really stands out to me is all my riding gear I got last year, courtesy of my parents and Kenny.

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? I love traditions and a lot of traditions are not happening for my family this year and that’s ok but, it’s something that’s definitely going to be missed. No matter how much of a pain in the ass those traditions can be.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? I just like cookies. Christmas cookies are my favorite.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? I love our families’ Christmas Eve party. It’s chaotic and everyone complains about it every year yet, it’s fun. Unfortunately, we won’t be having it this year seeing as how my mother decided seeing her 49ers play in person was more important.

17. What tops your tree? My mom has an angel that she’s had since before I was born. That bitch always gets graced with the “top of the tree” position.

18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? GIVING. Seriously, I love getting gifts for people and seeing their reactions when they open their gifts. I sometimes get carried away with buying gifts (for people such as Kenny) because I just want them to have so many presents!

19. Candy canes: yuck or yum? Yum… to a certain extent. Too many of them at one time and I’m saying “yuck”.

20. Favorite Christmas show? I don’t have a favorite. For serious. I love them all.

21. Saddest Christmas song? It’s a tie between Christmas Carol and Christmas Shoes (I think that’s the song names?).

“She said ‘my name is Christmas Carol’ I was born on Christmas Day. I don’t know who my mommy is, and daddy’s gone away. All I want for Christmas is someone to take me home. Does anybody want a Christmas Carol of their own?”

“He said, I wanna buy these shoes, for my mama, please. It’s Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size. Can you hurry, please? Daddy says there’s not much time. You see, she’s been sick for quite a while and I know these shoes will make her smile and I want her to look beautiful, if mommy meets Jesus tonight.”

22. What’s your favorite Christmas song? Ugh, there’s so many to choose from! I love the Chipmunk Christmas song, Baby , It’s Cold Outside, All I Want For Christmas Is You, Christmas in the Northwest, I’ll Be Home for Christmas… so many more. I love them all.

Just Some Things...

2011-12-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a few days since we found out that Kenny is the father to another woman's child and each day that's passed has gotten a little better. Key word: little.

You know, being that I have such severe depression and anxiety, you'd think I'd be having panic attacks up the yin yang but I'm not. I haven't once felt stressed out. I've had plenty of meltdowns but I try to put on a brave face in front of others. I try my best to hide being weak but, it doesn't always work. Some people can see right past it. I've also lost my appetite and have issues sleeping at night but that's just what happens when I am faced with a life-changing obstacle; my body gets all thrown out of whack.

I have to say that I'm so proud of Kenny. He is taking this all so well; better than I ever imagined anyone to handle this kind of situation. He's being so strong even though I know, in his alone time, he let's go of his emotions and has break downs. I know he handles tough situation differently than me but he knows I'm going to be there to hold him and let him cry and tell him it's going to be OK. Him being as strong as he has been the past few days has really helped me reach deep into myself to find the strength to handle what life has thrown our way. Through all the shit that Kenny and I have been through, and all the talks we've been having these past few days, there's no doubt in my mind that we will not only be able to make things work between us, but we will be able to make our relationship rock solid. Nothing can or will tear us apart.

I have been a bundle of emotions lately...

I'm sad at the fact that our future plans and dreams had to come to an abrupt halt and that they have not been ruined, necessarily, but have been temporarily put on hold. Yes, we still plan on getting married but, it will not be next year like we had hoped for.

I'm sad for Kenny. His whole life he's been the "golden" boy to everyone. He could do no wrong, he's someone your kids look up to as a role model. This is not the way he deserves to have to live his life however, it is what it is and both him and I are doing our best to accept that and adapt to it.

I'm scared of what our new future holds.

I'm scared of how I'll handle being a parent figure.

I'm a little excited to have a baby around. It will definitely allow Kenny and I to fine tune things and work out any kinks before we have any kids of our own.

I'm just... that's it. I'm just _______ . Fill in whatever word you feel appropriate in the blank.

I had talked to my counselor about feeling brave enough to meet up with her at some point but, Kenny asked me if I'd like to meet his son (okay... that was really hard for me to type, think, read) before she left for Utah (which is Friday morning). So I found the courage I needed to say, "yes" and we plan on meeting up tonight so I can meet him (his name is Wyatt) and talk to her. Wish me luck.

Thank you times a million and ten to those of you who have been praying for me and us and keeping us in your thoughts. This is definitely going to be a long journey that Kenny and I are going to embark on and I couldn't be more grateful to have made so many friends like all of you... even if it is over the internet. You guys really light up my life and warm my heart.

Side note: I promise not all of my posts are going to be like this. I'll get back to my normal blogging self, I'm sure.

There Seems to Be a Recurring Pattern...

2011-12-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

Let me elaborate. First of all, if you haven't already, you need to read my post from yesterday in order to understand this one. Actually, you need to read a few of my first posts ever, back in like May or June to fully understand but, whatever.

Dick #1 and I break up... he gets a girl pregnant.

Dick #2... already had a kid.

Dick #3 and I break up... he gets a girl pregnant.

And now, Kenny. Only difference is, Kenny and I got back together, seeing as how we were reassured by the chick that he was not the daddy; that is wasn't possible.

All I want to know, is why? Why has this happened to me? Oh and another fun fact: why is it that every year around this time, do Kenny and I get faced with a different obstacle we have to try and overcome? So, that's my question right now: why, why, why, why, why!?

Someone please tell me things will be OK again. Someone please tell me that this doesn't change things for me and Kenny but, just adds an extra step. Someone please tell me I'm going to be strong enough to get through all this.

I called up my therapist and scheduled an emergency session last night. Thankfully she was able to get me in right after work. It felt really good to have someone to talk to, someone who can pick apart my brain but no have any kind of involvement in the situation. My favorite part of the session was when she asked if she could give me a hug. And it was one of the best hugs I've had in a long time.

Thanks so much to those of you who have reached out to me and shared your stories and/or advice or just kind words. I really appreciate it. More than you know. Thank you for being a friend. I could just cry with all the love I have in my heart for all of you. I couldn't be more grateful.

This has all been a lot to take in and at first I told Kenny maybe we should give each other some space for a few days or so in order for both of us to process this information but, it just doesn't seem right. I need to be with him; next to him. I would say that I've made my decision of how I would like things to be between me and Kenny but, there was no decision to be made. I love Kenny with everything I have and both he and I have worked too damn hard to get to a great point in our relationship, after all the trials and tribulations over the past 5 years, to just give up. I told him I'm not giving up on us. I want to be with him for the rest of my life and I'm going to push myself to have the strength to get through yet another road block. I'm going to love his child and support him along side my best friend and the love of my life. Have all my plans for my future changed? Not necessarily. Kenny and I are still very much in love and want to get married to each other and we still want to have a kid of our own. I've made the choice to strengthen our relationship and Kenny is more than worth putting forth the effort.

**In other news, I wrote a litle diddy for Sabrina's Love n' Shit chronicles.
I heart her. And she only lives a few hours away from me, therefore we're practically neighbors. You guys should probably go check her out, if you haven't already.**

Did I mention the fact that she's freaking gorgeous? Love her.