Mission....ACCOMPLISHED!

Right after i picked her up from the shelter, she was so happy!
All of her goodies! She's gonna be so spoiled!

Dad loves her already and she loved him immediately

After we left my brother took this picture, she is gonna have a great life now!!!

About a month ago, my Dad and Brother found a dog running the streets. They took her home and fell completely in love with her. She stayed with them for about a week and it was obvious with all she knew that she was someones long lost GREAT pet. So, Dad and Tony took her to the Downey Shelter and sure enough she had a chip in her and she had owners who were looking for her. My Dad and Tony wanted to keep her so bad and my brother told me Dad was nearly in tears the day they left her at the shelter. But she was someone else's dog and so they did the right thing.

I am a total Daddy's girl. From the day i was born my Dad has done nothing but spoil me and make sure i was always happy! So happy that him and my mom would fight all the time because he would give me everything i wanted because he loved me that much....Now that im older, i always try and find way's to show him how much i love him and how much i appreciate the love he has always shown me...Aside from Josh, my Dad has and will always be one of my best friends..i would be lost without him....So this year for Christmas i was on a mission....

My passion for animals is definitely from the way i was raised. We have always had at least 4 animals in our home and both my Mom and Dad have the biggest heart for animals no matter what kind or where they came from. I am the same way and so is my brother. When i moved out of my Dad's house with Josh, we took all the animals with us leaving my Dad with none. This was a first for him, he has ALWAYS had multiple animals.

I asked my brother what he wanted for Christmas and he said "all i want is a dog" and so my mission begun.....

Not sure what my Dad would think if i just showed up to his house with a dog for him and Tony..would he be mad, happy, upset, angry, not ready for a new animal...hmmm....no time to think about all that, Christmas is right around the corner and with how much my Dad cares for animals he would learn to love something new regardless....

I spent many nights researching dogs from different Shelters on my computer...Shelters have odd hours (10-6) basically my working hours, so all i could do was research on the computer until i found some time to take off work to go look physically...I knew what i was looking for so that made it it easy enough...i knew she had to be a girl, not a puppy but not old either, i wanted her to be a lab mix of some sort and black was the ideal color (because that was the color of the dog my dad and tony were attached to) Basically, i wanted her to remind them of the dog they had to give up...

So Thursday Josh took a day off work and i took a half day. He picked me up around 3pm and we immediately made our way to a local shelter. Walked in a saw so many dogs crying and barking : ( as sad as it was to see SOOOOO many dogs, the dogs at the Harbor shelter were well taken care of. This is where i first found the dog i had my eyes set on for about a week from the computer...she looked much smaller in person....i wanted to play with her to see if her personality fit what i was looking for but not one person was there to help us and we were short on time as it was....Looked around and could not find a single soul to help us and so we left to make our way to the next shelter (at this point it was already 4pm) we got in the car and quickly drove to the Downey Shelter. Got there around 5pm. Tons of people there, tons of people to help and tons of people looking for a pet themselves. We walked around and didn't see much that fit the description of what we were looking for....This shelter made me sad...Dogs stepping in their own pee and poo, their cages had not been cleaned in a while and i know this because they wreaked of ammonia....All the dogs looked so scared, so sad....it just made me feel sick to my stomach. We came across this little chocolate lab mix, she was the cutest most scared little girl...I asked if i could see her and immediately fell in love when she jumped on me and grabbed me with her big ol paws!!! She was licking Josh's whole face, she was just perfect!!! So, we grabbed a yellow card, took it up front and waited about an hour for them to tell us "oh, sorry she's already been adopted" WTH really?? Great, here we go once again, on a mission....That place was such a mess, so unorganized! Poor animals that are left there : (

Josh and I then leave that shelter at 5:20pm to try and make it to the LB shelter by 6pm (thinking that's when it closes) we hit every red light and make it there by 5:50pm only to find out they closed at 5:30pm : ( Ugh..man...this is really started to suck....This is the only day we can find the time to make it to all these pounds and now we have hit a dead end.....By this time i was starving and so we made our way to the store to get stuff to make dinner and spent the rest of the night at home, Champagne and Taco's : ) After dinner, on the computer i was once again, researching dogs....Again i kept coming across that same black dog at the harbor shelter, the one i wanted to see but no one was there to help......

The next morning i woke up, got ready and decided i was gonna make my way to that shelter and see that dog! I found out they opened at 8am PERFECT!! 7:30am i was out the door and the first person at the shelter : ) This time there were plenty of people to help me! I told them which dog i wanted to see, this nice man brought her out and I played with her for about 10min and said "ill take her, she is perfect" She fit every part of what i was looking for! Her owner just didn't want her anymore and dropped her off there, she had been there for a while.

Next thing you know im filling out paper work and the guy said "im gonna give you a discount today" got her for $60 including them fixing her and putting a chip in her!!! She immediately went in for surgery and I was to pick her up by 2pm. So from there i went to work, took a lunch at 12:45, went to PETCO and bought everything she would need..New dog bowl, food, treats, toys, shampoo, brush, collar etc....i get the counter and the lady says "did you just adopt a dog" I said "yes, for my dad" she says " you get 50% off food today and 20% off everything else" REALLY!!! Wow, suddenly everything was just falling into place for me...

I picked little girl up from the shelter after petco, she was so happy but so nervous. Poor thing just got fixed and had no idea where she was going.....So I load her in the hummer and off we go....I drop her off at home and lock my babies out side while she is in the house trying to relax and recover from getting fixed and then back to work i go!!! Ugh what a busy day!!!

We decided to give my dad the dog that night. I wanted her to bond with him and not Josh and I and I did not want to confuse her on where her new home was gonna be....

We walk into my Dad's house with a huge bag of dog food and a basket full of dog goodies...my Dad looks at us like you gotta be kidding....Then we go out to the car and bring her in....

My brother was so excited! My Dad didn't know what to think so he said "i need to make a drink" The end result is... she's gonna have a great home...She slept with my Dad last night and after we left My bother text me with "thank you so much, this is the best gift i have EVER gotten"when we left Dad gave her a name "LUNA" she was curled up on the couch next to him with no worries in the world other then, finally i am home :) She is gonna have a GREAT life now.

Don't Mess Up Your Life With Do-It-Yourself Projects When God has A Plan For You

Believing that God will do what he says is quite different from waiting for him to do it. Waiting is hard, but believing while waiting is harder still....That's why people take things into their own hands.





Having patience it so unbelievably important. Important as a parent, wife, co-worker etc....Having Patience that God has big plans for us is something we all need to learn to do. I am so unbelievably into my bible right now. I love reading, learning and researching when i have trouble understanding what I've read. Sometimes I'll just sit there and keep reading my bible until i feel like I've almost confused myself...but at the end of the day ill tell Josh what i read and realize i do understand what i read i just need to verbally let it out or maybe write it out to put it all in perspective. I listen to K-Wave on my way home from work and what's so awesome about that is a lot of the time, what i just read in the bible is what they are going over and then i understand it even more!


As we watch this world slowly fall apart, slowly turn into exactly what God did not intend for it to turn out to be we know that a new beginning is soon to come. God wants us to be one again, to learn how to have compassion for one another and help one another in need. If this world keeps getting worse then as a nation we will completely fall apart and there will be nothing left. I pray for a new beginning. I pray we learn how to love others (love is not a feeling, it is an action) that we learn to have compassion, become more giving, more heartfelt, more GOD like! This world has so much hate now, so many people living for the wrong reasons, so many people trying to screw everyone else over to get to the top, this world is full of evil and there are very few good people left......


I look at my life, my husband, my job, my animals, family and everything else my life contains and i am ever so thankful for every single thing i have been blessed with. My life is not about the money Josh and I make and the things we can buy, or how many people we can get to like us or want to be "friends" with us, nor is about how we can make ourselves look so much better then everyone else...Our life is full of Love-we give and do everything we can for one another, we are selfless for each other and for the people in our lives and for our animals! Our jobs consist of helping other people and making other people's lives easier (at least that's how i look at my job) not how can i make that money and who cares if i screw people over (like some people we know) Im thankful how healthy we both are and how healthy our families are but i pray and worry for those i know are struggling right now with their health and sometimes it brings me down. I am thankful God has provided us with jobs that allow us to live the way we do and sometimes i feel bad at how fortunate we are when half the population is struggling right now. When friends e-mail me or come to me saying "i really need a job, please let me know if anyone you know is hiring" i do all i can to help, i research and job hunt as much as i can for them. I have helped quiet a few people find a job and i've also been screwed over doing so a few times, but that's ok and i forgive. I strive to be a better person everyday and i know as long as im following the Lord he will do his best to mold me into the person he wants me to be. I only pray that more of this worlds population learn to do the same thing, before it's too late....

It's My Body not Yours!

A friend at work asked me to have lunch with her in the kitchen at work today. For those of you who know me, then you know it's rare i ever go to lunch anywhere other then my desk. Mainly because i like to work while i eat, i enjoy my work and i like to be on top of everything I'm doing. Secondly lunch time at my work is more like a social event of gossip. Everyone talks crap on everyone. I don't care who is doing what or who so and so doesn't like. I rather not be apart of that bad mouthing people and honestly i really don't care to hear it either. Lastly I'm constantly being made fun of at work for the health nut i am. I eat healthy and I'm very dedicated to working out on a daily basis. I eat lite throughout the day and save my biggest meal for dinner with my husband! I love cooking and i love good conversation while having dinner with him so i save my appetite and go all out at the end of each night. Most of the time i can out eat Josh and snack ALL night long after having a huge dinner. If you saw how i ate at night you would probably think I'm crazy! Anyway, my BMI is 18.9 which is perfect for a woman of my age, height and weight. My weight is perfect for my height and my body fat is considered that of an athlete. There is not one part of me that is underweight or under what i should be. So please tell me why EVERYONE at work must constantly harass me on how thin i am, how i hardly eat anything when they have no idea what i eat! Just because I'm not oinking down a bunch of bad food does not mean i don't eat! So i sat in the kitchen today and ate with my friend and sure enough i get 4 different people saying i eat like a rabbit, i need to gain weight, i don't eat real food etc....OMG get over it!!!! Stop telling me that every freakin time you see me and that is exactly one of the reasons i chose not to eat in the kitchen. I rather eat at my desk in peace and be left alone from negative rude comments! It's just so annoying to hear the same comments every single day and eventually it gets to you! I am healthy and i am happy so why do these people care what i look like?? What cracks me up is all these people who say these annoying comments are the same people who complain they want to lose weight and ask me for advice on how to go about it....Thank god i have my husband to listen to me vent and remind me how bitchy girls can be.

Back to work : (

Back to work today! After having 5 full days of nothing but relaxing, it's really hard to get into "work mode"! This morning Josh and I slept in as long as we possibly could keeping one another warm and just enjoying the last few minutes of our time together before we started another week of working our butts off. I was so lazy up until 9am when i forced myself to get ready for the day. I drank my coffee, had breakfast, laid on the couch with the dogs and played on the computer all up until the last minute of getting ready. No running for me today. I figured Mon-Sun i ran a total of 48 miles so today would be my day off ( i tend to forget that when working out, you do need a day or two to let your body recover).

I had such a wonderful 5 days off! Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving) I had a great day at work. I was so excited with how caught up i was on my work and the vibe at work was great cause everyone was in a good mood and then 3pm came and the rest of my work day turned to crap! We got this e-mail saying everyone could leave at 3:30pm to get an early start on their long weekend and Holiday! Ya, well everyone except me! I cover the phones for the last hour and half of the night because our receptionist leaves at 4pm. Everyone was able to leave at 3:30 but they wanted to keep the phones on till 5:30pm! Are you kidding me? No one is gonna call if everyone is gone and how is that fair to me?!? Oh don't worry Steph you will get paid 2 hours of overtime...OVERTIME?!?! Really?? I don't want overtime! I don't care to make extra money, my time is way more valuable then money! Anyway, point is i was upset. I came to the front desk to cover the phones when our receptionist said "steph, i have nothing to do tonight, go home and ill cover" After arguing back n forth with her for about 10minutes on how i felt bad for her staying till 5:30 she insisted i leave and so i did. She told me that because im always so nice to her and because I'm always willing to help her out she wanted to do the same for me....so nice of her! So on my way home, i call Josh and I vent! Vent so much that i start crying about how I'm too nice and i always get taken advantage of at work because i always do EVERYTHING for everyone with no questions, no complaining etc..I know im too nice and im always looking out for everyone other then myself and normally i don't mind but for some reason i did mind this time. As always Josh has the perfect words and just the sound of his voice puts me at ease. When i got off the phone with him my mood completely turned around and i was ready to go home have some wine and enjoy the night! We had a great long weekend together! We spent time with Friends we have not seen in a while, spent time with our animals (who by the way did not want me leaving them this morning)we decorated the house for Christmas and got our tree!!! Once again i feel like i just fell in love all over again. I always feel that way when i get extra time with Josh...He just makes me smile 24/7 and we have so much fun with everything we do!

I'm driving to work this morning thinking about Josh, about the animals and about us and how blessed i feel to have married such a selfless wonderful man. I brought our receptionist Starbucks for the favor she did me on Wednesday and she was so thankful!! Then she goes on to say " that was so sweet of your husband to call work on Wednesday after you left and thank me for covering you and telling me how much he appreciates me helping you out". Huh? Josh called work on Wednesday?? She's like "ya, that was so sweet of him"! He never told me he called to thank her but every thought i was thinking on the way to work about how lucky i am just made me feel 10times more lucky! 10 times more blessed! I truly have such an amazing husband that has such a huge heart!!! The best part is, he doesn't just show me his huge heart, he shows everyone and all who are in our lives!!! I love you my love and you still amaze me everyday. You make my everyday so perfect and i wouldnt trade it for anything in the WORLD!

I Love Coming Home!

As crazy as this may sound, there is not a day of the week i do not love! My Mondays are never a case of the Mondays, in fact i actually look forward to them because Josh and I have a little routine Mondays being he has no work. I love our Mondays and I love that when i come home he has the house all nice and clean, candles lit and he always has a glass of wine waiting for me. I come home and change into my comfy clothes and then we have the whole night of nothing but enjoying each other and talking about our day.



The rest of the week goes by so fast because I'm so overly busy at work i don't even notice what time it is half the time. But the best part of my every day is what i get to come home to!!! 6pm rolls around and I'm driving home smiling every day because i know who is home waiting for me! There is just no better feeling!!! I love our little home, it's so cozy and it's ours! We can do whatever we want, when we want and how we want because we own that little home and it's our little world! I love coming home to my best friend, having a glass of wine with him and just talking for hours (yes, we can still talk for hours about anything) and watching the animals run around the house and Aussie cracking us up with her random talk! Everyday is just so much fun and it's such a great feeling to be so in love and so fulfilled in every way. I have the most romantic husband who is always keeping me on my toes, keeping our love fresh and can i just say he is hard to keep up with in the romance department : ) I LOVE COMING HOME!!!

Oh Baby!

Hurry home!!!! I got Champagne, Grapes, Cheese, Crackers, Movies and now all i need is for you to hurry home : ) Mmmmmm my favorite kind of night wth you my love!!!!

Marriage & Divorce...

It's insane how many people you hear about getting divorced these days. People our age who just got married and already they are giving up on their marriage WTH?? Too many people take marriage lightly now. It's like they want to jump on the band wagon of what everyone else is doing, rushing to catch up to everyone else, not having patience and just jumping into something i don't think they realize is a commitment for the rest of their lives! When you fall in love take time and enjoy being in love before making a huge decision such as marriage. I am the first to defend men when it comes to relationships and marriages. I think too many women expect to just be taken care of, too many women complain about themselves, their husbands and about things in their life, too many women want to rush marriage or children when the guy isn't really ready for it and too many women are freakin moody and bipolar making it impossible for a man to get a long with let alone come home to. As for men, they are who they are and they don't change who they are after marriage, women should know that by now. Marrying someone does not make a bad relationship better either. I hate hearing about divorce. I hate hearing people have just given up. It truly gives love and marriage a bad name.

When Josh and I got engaged so many people told us "Good luck, the first 3 years are hard and that's when you really learn the most about each other... marriage is hard work". I have to admit, it kind of scared us to hear that being we never fought. The reason Josh and I never fought and still don't is because we were best friends first. We knew each other outside of being in a relationship and we had so much respect for one another from day one. We never played games and never held anything back from one another. We have been married a little over a year now and we have yet to figure out what people are taking about when they say it's hard work. Maybe it has something to do with they way we did things. We moved in together before we were together and shared a room at my dads house for a year and a half. One room just Josh and I, from day one. If we were gonna get on each others nerves or realize bad habits this is where we would figure it all out. Luckily enough all our bad habits were cute to one another : ) We brought all our friends together hung out, partied and established "friends" together. The day we got engaged we combined both our bank accounts and learned how to manage money together as one. Josh had just bought me an expensive engagement ring that he was planning on making payments on for a year. We knew we wanted to buy a house together at that time so we immediately combined our bank accounts and we payed off my ring together fast! We saved money each month as if it were a house payment and payed the ring in full. That was our first test at we handled money together and after the ring was payed off we bought our home while planning a wedding together. We basically tackled everything before marriage and maybe that's why we don't understand when people say the first few years are hard. You have to always serve one another and the day you stop is the day everything will go down hill...

I really hate hearing people have given up. Marrige should never be taken lightly. You should always give your all and never stop serving the person your with.

Sick and Tired of being Sick!

I was just saying "I never get sick" to people at work and then BOOM out of no where i get sick. There is nothing worse then not being able to function. I am always on the go, always doing something, always moving around and for the past 2 days i have done nothing but sleep, drink tea and eat top ramen. Grrrr i hate this! I hate not being able to go to work when i know how much work is sitting on my desk, i hate not being able to workout because i don't have the energy, i hate not being able to clean the house or cook because my body hurts too much to get up, i hate not being able to hold Aussie because she can easily get sick if i touch her and i hate that i cant cuddle or make love to my husband because i don't want to get him sick (lord only knows if he gets sick it will be 10times worse then my getting sick). Hoping today will be the last day of this awful flu.
On another note..Thank you, My Love, for staying home with me yesterday. For taking care of me and not allowing me to do anything for myself. Although i slept almost the whole entire day, the best feeling was knowing every time i woke up you were right there offering me medicine, food, water etc.... You are so good to me, you really are the best husband, so selfless and so good to me all the time. I miss you today. It seems like the longest day knowing you have work and then off to take your test : ( and you wont be home till late. I guess Aussie can entertain me until you get home. You should hear her practicing her "cough" every time i cough she mocks me to the T. Cracks me up. After you left this morning i made some soup, had a couple bites and couldn't eat anymore so i took NyQuil and passed out until almost noon. I woke up to all three dogs surrounding me on the couch and Aussie on the other couch watching out the window : ) They make me smile. I will see you tonight, My love, Xoxoxo

EVERYTHING IS CHAOTIC:

GOD BRINGS ORDER WHERE THERE IS CHAOS

CHAOS IS OFTEN CREATED WHEN I FORGET GOD

CHAOS REMINDS ME TO SURRENDER

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring
you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only
to be still.” Exodus 14:13-14 (TNIV)

Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10 (TNIV)

This was our message in church this past Sunday. So weird, Tim Mcgraw (my favorite all time artist) just came out with a new CD and my favorite song is the very first song " Still". Very similar to the message we heard in church. We get so lost in life's chaos we forget to just sit there and take in all we have and all of life's beautiful moments that God has given us. When we make our life CHAOTIC (yes we do this to ourselves) we tend to forget about God. We forget to take time out of our day to pray, to get to know him more and to trust him to help us with the chaos we have created in our lives.

This brings me back to the way Josh and I are with one another. So many people have something to say about our relationship. They say we don't include anyone in our lives, we never hang out when we are invited places, we are stuck up and spoiled etc...
Well, then you must really not know us. We have worked hard to get where we are today and will continue to work hard to reach our goals. This means we have to sacrifice a few things such as spending unnecessary amounts of money partying or going out and that's OK because we chose to live this way. That does not mean we are not good friends or bad people though. we have created a life together that involves much responsibility and many bills. We don't ever complain about our bills because we created them and take full responsibility for them. Sometimes our lives feel chaotic because of bills and how much we both work. It's like each day is just not long enough to get everything done and sometimes it even feels like we don't get enough time with each other, our families and our animals. When we have a week that feels chaotic Josh and I both take a day off work together and just spend one whole day relaxing with one another and taking in all we have because at times we are so busy we don't even get a second to do that. So call me whatever you want but God, My husband, Family, Animals and the very couple GOOD friends we have are what matter most to me. I will always make time for those who matter most to me, i will learn to just stand still and embrace and trust in God to help me get through life when it feels so "chaotic".

The one thing i can honestly say about myself is how selfless i am. I like to see everyone around me happy and that's what makes ME happy. I will give and do as much as i can to make those in my life happy and never complain if i feel you have a big heart and your truly a good person. I'm very selective on who i let in my life and i think that's because i know how much I'm willing to give once i let you in. I think one of the biggest gifts i have received from God is my huge heart and outlook on life. Xoxox

I Got What I Asked For Soooo....

I was thinking about my Job the other day and how much work i constantly have now. Some days i feel so overwhelmed i just wanna cry and other days i handle it just fine. I try never to have a bad day at wok, I'm pretty good at staying positive and dealing with all that does come my way because I'm good at what i do and i have confidence in myself. When i say I'm good at what i do, i mean I'm good with multitasking and i ask a million and one question to make sure i have the correct understanding of that I'm learning. I am a perfectionist by all means, i hate letting people down and always do my best with anything thrown my way. Anyhow, I've got it made here at work and sometimes i don't think i realize that. I have about a month of vacation total given to me. I'm always given the days off i need. My bonuses are HUGE and because of that, Josh and I never stress over Christmas gifts. My work is right on the water; only 10min aways from home and in the best location. People that come here always say this is one of the most beautiful offices they have ever seen. We have a huge formal Christmas party every year with high end food and an open bar all night long. My boss is very professional but also very laid back for the most part. I've worked here for 6 1/2 years, that says a lot in it's self. I'm committed. Some days i feel stressed and after venting to Josh i realize this is the job i wanted, i asked for it and got it and so I'm gonna love it! When i was the receptionist for the firm i work at, i took pride in all i did. I work at a place with 120 people and answered the phones for all 120 people on my own for years!! It was tough work but i always made my job fun and i was good at what i did. The last year at the reception desk started getting super busy so they hired someone for the 2nd floor as well. Then i became BORED, i was use to doing it all on my own for years. If you know me, then you know I'm a very hyper person all the time. I have to be doing something 24/7 or i get bored. I am the furthest thing from lazy you will ever meet lol no joke. So anyhow, i went down to my office manager's office and asked if i could move up in the company. She said all that would be open to move up to is accounting basically. Anything else here you need school for. Accounting, inputting numbers all day?!?! Screw that. I would go crazy doing that. Not only would i get bored but I'm use to multi tasking and that just would not work for me at all. I told her i wanted to do and learn Legal Secretary work i wanted something more challenging then what i was being offered and 6 months later i got exactly what i wanted and I'm working for the owner of the company out of all people here. So in conclusion, i got what i asked for and i will always try my best to perfect what I'm doing and try my hardest not to stress.

My Love, Remember when...

You took me to see the fight in SD. One of our first dates after reuniting again : ) So much fun with great friends and the start of what was meant to be!

We had our first beach party with friends and all you and i wanted to do was be alone...This is when i knew i was falling hard and fast..

From this day forward i knew i could never go another day without you...

You took me skydiving and you asked my dad for permission to take me : ) You made my heart smile and that was an experience ill never forget. Who does that on their 3rd date or so lol US!!!!! xoxo

You flew my to Washington to meet your family after only 3 months of being together...some of the best best memories we have shared thus far were there...

Our first Halloween together! I was so proud to call you mine!

Our second Halloween engaged : )

We use to have parties like every weekend at Dads house! Our first New Years at Dads and I worked you! haha muah!

When you asked me to marry you in ALASKA!!! I had no idea that was coming, but no doubt in my mind that you were the one and i was soooooooooooooooo ready!

Alaska, i will never forget the beauty of Alaska and how hopelessly in love with you i was

When we bought our house! We did it baby, when everyone doubted us, we freakin did it!!! What a great feeling...

We celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary, you planned a perfect weekend.

Our wedding day. What a PERFECT day, i was so lost in you and still am!

Our honeymoon in Australia...so much fun!!!!!!!!!!

Just a few of the memories we have made along the way of establishing US. Baby i am sooo in love with you still to this day. We have the best of times together no matter what it is we are doing! I love that no matter what it is we are ALWAYS on the same page, always thinking the same thoughts, always putting each other first and ALWAYS reminding each other how in love we are with one another. You are so good to me and i will always do all i can to make sure i make you as happy as you make me. I am spoiled with your love and with the man you are. God sure knows what he is doing with us. I love you times a million! Have a wonderful day baby, I cannot wait to get home to you xoxox

This is How i picture life...

Josh and I had a wonderful breakfast this morning at Heritage, Mmmmmmm, that place is so yummmy!! Then Josh drove me to work, as he does every Monday : ) I love the extra few minutes i get with him on the way to work. We were talking about life and how we both feel there is something more we should be doing. I feel like i should be working with old people or animals because i have a deep passion for both. Josh feels he should be doing something with music because that's his passion and he knows he is good at it. We were talking about when we move out of state one day we want to live life doing exactly what we love. Not knowing how long it will takes us to reach the goal of moving out of state and being able to still keep and rent out our Lakewood house, we are thinking 4 years sounds about right. We would both love for it to happen sooner but 4 years is when we will be financially set with no worries. Joking around i told Josh, man it would be cool if Dad bought a house on a huge piece of land that had another house on the same land that was all fenced in that we could live in. Then all we would have to do it ride a tractor over to dads house to visit him lol. So i get to work and i e-mail my dad asking him how his meeting went on Saturday with the guy who wants to buy his business. He responds "it went very well, if he can come up with he money then i think he's in". Nice. See once my dad sells his business he is renting a huge RV and traveling for a week to Oregon to look at houses, Josh and I are going with him too. So then i e-mail dad back with my great idea of having him buy a house with another house on the same piece of land that Josh and I can live in. I said "we can even share the animals, the animals can run in between all that land and go to whom evers house they want" Man they would be in heaven. They would have the best of both worlds, if ever they are mad at me they can just run over to dads house and stay with him LOL... know i think like a little kid but that's how much i love my family, husband and animals, enough to want to spend every moment with them! So i thought for sure my dad was not going to respond or tell me im retarded, but to my surprise he said " that's a great idea Stephani, because more then anything i want you guys to come with me" Whaaaaaaaaaaa did i just hear what i think i heard!! : ) So when we go to look at houses in Oregon Dad said we can look for a set up just like i have pictured in my head! so maybe just maybe we wont have to wait for 4 long years! We will see!!!!

BY T.D. Jakes

My mother-In-Law shared this with me today and it was so beautiful i had to share with everyone.... I just love this and wish more people would read this over and over again....



There are people who can walk away from you.
And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you: let them walk. I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.
When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

The bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]
People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay.

Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead... You've got to know when it's dead.

You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something.. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye.. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay.

Let them go!!!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to......

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains .......

LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you.

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge.....

LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction... .....

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents

LET IT GO!!!

If you! u have a bad attitude.... ...

LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better......

LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him.........

LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship. ....

LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves.. ....

LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed ............

LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying 'take your hands off of it,' then you need to......

LET IT GO!!!

'The Battle is the Lord's!'

During the next 60 seconds, Stop whatever you are doing, and take this opportunity...
(Literally it is only ONE minute!)

All you have to do is the following:
You simply say 'The Lords Prayer' for the person that sent you this message:
The Lords Prayer
Our Father, who are in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever.
Amen.

Last Night's Dinner...

Last night Josh and I went to Georges for dinner once again to show Dad and Elisa how amazing their food is and how wonderful everyone that works there is. They were insanely packed all the way out the door. Not an empty seat inside or outside the whole place! Crazy, its a pretty big place too. Although no matter how packed it is, we are regulars so they always make sure we get in before everyone and fast. As we are walking to our seat i look up and notice we are being seated right behind a former friend of mine. I say former friend because i was really close to this person back when i worked at Abercrombie and pretty much ever since i worked there up until 2 months before my wedding day. She was there when i got my wedding dress she was at my bridal shower and she was going to be a bridesmaid in my wedding until i kicked her out of the wedding party. As nice of a friend she was, she screwed me over when Josh and I had our bach. party in Vegas and I was done after that. I am a very loyal, respectful friend to those i care about and to those i feel have been a good friend to me but the minute i feel disrespected or stabbed in the back ADIOS i dont need you in my life and i will not allow you in my life. Anyway after i told her i no longer wanted her in the wedding because of her non-stop lies, i never spoke to her again. She text me Congrats on our wedding day and that was it.... K back to seeing her at Georges... Anyway, as i look up and see her having dinner with her family she kind of smiles and says "hi" then looks back down immediately. I was caught off guard and kind of shocked to see her(as it has been over a year) but because of how much i feel i have changed as a person i walked up behind her and gave her a hug. I could totally feel the awkwardness as she really didn't know what to say, after a really brief conversation with her i walked to my table and that was it. ...

Point in this "story" is i have never really been the type of person who needs a bunch of friends in my life. I have ALWAYS had one or two really good friends and that is it. I just never wanted the drama in my life that girls brought. I have always hung out with family or guys and because of that drama has never followed me. However I have had a few friends screw me over and in the past i would get so angry i would seek revenge. You hurt me, ill hurt you twice as bad. My saying has always been "screw me over and i will screw you over twice as bad" until i found Josh. Being with Josh has taught me so much more about myself. Now instead of revenge i seek forgiveness. I don't even think i need to get back at someone for what they did to me, instead i forgive them and i move on with my life. Now i just need to work on my stubbornness : )

We were talking to Dad last night about where we are in life and basically how fast we grew up and accomplished so much. We have goals and we stick to them. We will always work our hardest to get where we want to be in life and nothing will hold us back. People can talk crap on us and how we never "hang out" or "we think we are too good for everyone" but that's not it at all. Like i said, Josh and I have goals and we work hard to make sure we reach those goals. We don't have time to go blow money on unnecessary things and partying. We are not trying to impress anyone, there is no need to and its not us. We are living life having fun together and with whom ever comes along on our random dinners and trips and we are saving for our future. All in all Dad always knows how to make us feel so on top of the game of everything we do and accomplish, thanks dad for always reminding us how far we have come and how even though you have a lot of money you never help us out you make us do it all on our own. Which reminds me, thank you to another former friend for spreading rumors that my dad helped us buy our house and for saying we couldnt do it haha! Proud to say we did it ALL on our own!

Georges Greek Cafe!

For those of you who have never had George's Greek Cafe, you have no idea what your missing out on. I have been going to the one on pine ave. for a few years now and not only is their food great but they make you feel at home! George is in the front greeting everyone that comes to his restaurant, the food is healthy, everyone that works there is overly friendly, its romantic, not too expensive at all and the vibe there is just unexplainable. Yes, that is how highly i think of that place ; ) Now that they have opened one in Lakewood next to SuperMex we will be there even more! Josh and I went there last night for the grand opening and right when we walked in we were in awww....we were just so amazed with the painted murals all over the walls and how freakin beautiful everything turned out. From the moment we sat down, we must have had 4 people come up to us "Stephani, Josh thank you so much for coming and supporting us" It was so cool to celebrate the grand opening there with people we are familiar with from the Pine Georges. The manager came up and offered us to try their newest red wine and then walked us around and gave us a tour of the whole place including the kitchen and the freezers that the fresh food is kept in. I cannot wait to share this new location with everyone. Josh and I only go to restaurants that make us feel at home and this is definitely #1 on our list!!!

A whole lot of random talk! : )

A couple of days ago i set one of my friends up with a job interview at my work. Well, actually it was more like my boss came up to me and said "do you have any friends that need a job we need someone full time" and i knew of a couple people so i jumped on it, set up an interview and today she got the job : ) So excited for her! Not only is one of the sweetest girls i know but I'm excited have a friend to work with again! I wont be seeing her too often as i hardly leave my desk on the 4th floor and she will be working on the 2nd floor but we can do lunch : ) I'm just really glad she got a job at my work, the benefits are awesome, our bonus's are ridiculously awesome and she can move up! Not to mention we are a huge firm so it's a great experience for her either way. Congrats Amy!

On another note Josh and I just found out one of our Favorite couples are no longer together. I don't want to blast their personal stuff all over here or anything, but i really hope they work things out. It makes me sad to see two really amazing people go their separate ways. I thought for sure they would last, they had an amazing connection, both intelligent and go getter's, together they were a good team. However everything happens for a reason and if it is meant to be they will find each other once again when timing is right.

I miss our animals today. Last night I got off work early to go to Josh's work Party out in Irvine and we did not get home till near midnight so i didn't get the chance to spend time with the animals like I normally do : ( and this morning i left the house early so i could pick up Starbucks for a couple people at work that helped me out yesterday so again, my morning was cut a little short from them. Aussie is probably going to be a brat today when we get home because she's feeling a bit neglected due to us not being home much yesterday.

I talked to my mom for like an hour yesterday for the first time in months. Life has been so busy for us that we just keep missing one another. It was nice talking to her, we pretty much had a whole conversation full of laughter. Mainly because i was so hyper from all the coffee i drank and all the food i forgot to eat, i drank tons of coffee on an empty stomach and so i was bouncing off the walls! I miss my mom. I hope she find true happiness one day, sometimes when i talk to her she seems so lost with where she is at.

Josh could have won $250 if would have entered the contest and sang karaoke last night at his work party. But noooooooooooooo he refuses to enter any contest any where we go because he gets shy but then at the end of the night he gets up and rocks the damn stage every time! Josh that $250 so could have been ours. And you are far from shy so don't try and pull that with me anymore, im not buying it : ) I love you baby.

I cannot wait to FINALLY go to Georges tonight. The Lakewood location is officially OPEN! Woohoo say HELLO to your new locals : )

Cant wait to get home!

Although work has been crazy busy for me today i still manage to make the best of it! I try to come to work everyday with a positive attitude. I love making people smile, i love giving someone negative my positive feedback, never judge someone based on what others say. always give others a chance to show who they really are before making any judgment. Always think positive and you will never feel negative. I love that i am always happy even over the smallest things in life, i hope my happiness rubs on off on all that surround me because we need more happy positive people in this world. I may not agree with everyone and i may tell it how it is because i hold nothing back when i speak but that's who i am. I am honest and i never lie and one thing i love about Josh is he is exactly how i am. I dont think you will ever meet a more honest couple huh baby : ) Now home to my husband, animals and champizzy!! LMAO (inside joke) can you tell im hyper or what.. : D

To My Love:

Hi My Love,

Before i head out to work i wanted to tell you I love you and how much fun i always have with you! With how hard we both work and with all the responsibility we have we still manage to make every day and night so much fun. I had such a good time running with you and Kota girl last night at my work, we deff need to start doing that every Monday, it was nice to break from the treadmill and run outside along the water. I would not trade this life we share for ANYTHING in the world. I feel like God has truly blessed us with happiness and a life full of blessings. I never in a million years thought it was possible to be this happy every single day of my life...bad days at work are nothing when you know your coming home to the person who makes your every day so special. You and I have such a strong bond as i promised you in our vows "together our love will grow a bond too strong to break" and it already has. We can accomplish anything we want together, no one will ever be able to read me or read you the way we read one another, no one can my make my heart smile the way you do, you are my best friend and i am so head over heels in love with you baby. We have accomplished so much at such a young age already with our strong determination to do things right and with our parents pushing us to be all we can. I hope we continue to follow the right paths in life,learn from both our parents and grow even more together. One day baby, one day we are gonna be living the life if we keep heading down the right paths : ) A house in the middle of no where with animals, maybe a baby, our families and hardly working so we can have so much more time to spend together...Our future holds so much. You make me so proud.....Have a good day Love. XOxo I love you so much!

Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles

Finally got Josh to try Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles and I'm proud to say HE LOVED IT! There is nothing better for breakfast then fried chicken (dipped in hot sauce) with the best homemade waffles ever!!!! He is gonna be addicted, watch : )

Awww the simple pleasures in life.

Two movies and Two glasses of wine later an Josh is passed out on my lap : ) We are so opposite when it comes to drinking. Josh is tired once he has had a drink or two and im like a crazy hyper person who wants to go do anything and everything possible! Must be the itty bitty sugar intake from the alcohol that keeps me up and going. Anyway, i cant help but sit here and stare at him and our knocked out animals and think to myself, Man I am So Blessed to have such a wonderful life. Sometimes the stress of work or the busy days take time away from sitting back and reflecting on all we are blessed with, all the love and compassion we share together. We have a cozy home, good jobs, quiet little neighborhood, animals who keep us laughing everyday, families whom love us endlessly, A love that is so indescribable for one another,we are healthy and we are following the lord together now....God is good and when following him and trusting in him you realize how special the smallest of things are....

The other night we went to Dad's house and he pulled out this post card i sent him from Alaska right after Josh asked me to marry him. Josh had never seen it and my Dad felt then need to share it with him. It said something like this..."Hi dad, Josh asked me to Marry him tonight. Thank you for giving him permission to ask me he makes me so happy. I have never been so sure of anything in my life. I love him so much dad and i cannot wait to marry him. I miss you and love you, be home soon." It was so cool reading that. Remembering how fast everything happened, how in love with him i was and still am! Thank you Dad for sharing that : )

Life is crazy, but i love every single minute of it. We have so much more to look forward to as each year goes on. I love you baby and i hope you always know how PERFECT you make my everyday no matter what it is we are doing. MUAH...Time to wake you up for some GLADSTONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Playboy..

Josh and I received the new issue of playboy this month. Yes, we get playboy and surprisingly enough Josh does not even care to look at it. It's me who is interested in all the pictures. It's a good magazine, not just for the pictures but the articles are very fun to read too. Anyhow, one thing i love about looking through playboy is that i can look at every picture and think to myself... "i may not have big fake boobs, but mine are real and i work out ten times hard then those girls and have muscle definition to prove it". I remember being in high school and thinking "when I'm moved out of dads house I'm gonna get fake boobs" now i look back and wonder what the hell i was thinking. Fake boobs are beyond trendy now and to be honest they look a bit trashy. They make women look fatter then they are and if not that then they look like someone just stuck two water balloons on their chest LOL....Don't get me wrong, I'm sure ill get mine lifted after having a child but as for anything fake being placed in my body, i think ill pass. Having subscribed to playboy is a reminder to always keep in shape and look good for my sexy husband. It's a reminder to love my body and for what god gave me and that i can ALWAYS work out what i do not like about it. I am perfectly content with how hard i have worked on getting in shape and the minute i feel like Ive slacked a bit ill bust my butt to get right back to where i was! Thank you playboy for keeping me more motivated then i already am : ))) Husband is my #1 motivator though!

WORK, WORK and WORK

That is my life these days. Once i am home i am so exhausted that all i wanna do is have a dinner, a glass of wine and relax with my husband. I dont want life to always feel this hectic then again thats like saying "i dont ever want to grow up" Right?

Self Disipline!

Everyone is eating pizza for lunch. Our work must have bought 16 pizza's for everyone to share. Self discipline is in full effect for me. While i sit here smelling and watching everyone eat their pizza, i am eating raspberries with a small salad made with broccoli, garbanzo beans and carrots. : P Where in the world did i get my self discipline from? I love pizza! Maybe because i know I'm having it for dinner tonight. Or maybe it's because I'm so routine with how i eat. Fiber one with a fruit for breakfast, Yogurt with a Nana and granola for lunch and for dinner what ever the heck i want : )) Everyone likes to argue with me that your not suppose to eat your biggest meal and whatever you want for dinner but you know what, IT WORKS PERFECTLY FOR ME : ) I like to have my best meal of the day with my husband! Soooooooo as i sit here and continue to smell everyone's pizza, it only makes me look more forward to having it TONIGHT!

Car Accident...

Last night i got off work around 6pm. I had so much work i needed to get done so i stayed later then normal. It is very rare that i ever take the 91 on my way home. I will usually take the 710 and exit a side street because the 91 is always stop and go traffic no matter what time it is. I hate driving as it is. Like i have said before i only drive to and from work and no where else (not even the gas station); #1 I don't like going places without Josh due to my phobia of men harassing me#2 I'm scared to death of getting in an accident. Although, since we have gotten the hummer i feel much safer, but that fear is just always gonna be there...
I have never been in an accident before. Ok, minus the time i was learning to drive an ex boyfriends car and drove it into someones kitchen....OMG embarrassing! Wait...i think i know why i am so scared of getting in an accident.I just remembered my mom got into an accident when i was little. I had my set belt on but was so tiny i slipped right out of it and went through the windshield of her car. Had stitches and everything...
Back to my point. Yesterday while driving home i was rear ended on the 91 by a lady in van who must have had 6 kids in her van all under the age of 7. I saw her coming and held the brake down as hard as i could. She hit me going full speed and totaled her car. I cannot tell you how freaked out i was when i saw that coming. It was like my worst nightmare coming true. Luckily my 9,000lb hummer did not move and inch neither did I. I was not wearing my set belt (like i should have been and Josh always gets mad at me for not putting it on). We pulled over to the side of the freeway, her car was leaking fluid, smoking and the whole front end was smashed in. I get out and ask her and the kids if they are ok...they were all upset, crying but everyone appeared to be alright. I called josh, not knowing what to do because this was my first accident and he walked me through all the information i needed to get from her. All that was left on my car was a tiny scratch. I felt so horrible driving away from that poor lady last night. I don't think she even had insurance and she barley spoke English. Not to mention I'm pretty sure she ran a daycare and was dropping some of those kids off at home. What would she tell those parents? How horrible she must have felt putting those kids in danger like that. I just really hope her and those kids are ok as she said they were.
Thank you God for watching over me yesterday. Thank you Josh for letting me get my dream car because it is SOOOOOOOOO safe!!!

Toxic...

When your single. It's easy to ID the toxic people in your life-the jobless wonder always crashing on you're couch, the pretty college pal who always hits on guys you like. But once your married, things get a little foggier. You're preoccupied with your new best friend (that would be the person snoring next to you, fyi)and may not notice that other connections have become..kind of strained. Bonds with single friends that used to be so strong can spark weird feelings-jealousy, resentment, annoyance. Friendships with married couples can creep into competitive, even flirtatious territory and become unhealthy for your relationship. It's no one's fault-it's just pure chemical combustion. Put you + them in a room, shake, and release-you've got a toxic combination that gets under your skin and can cause bad feelings to bubble to the surface. So how do you know who might be polluting your life?..

( This was a from a previous blog i had on myspace. I had to bring it back and i also have a bit more input to add);


1)The competitive Couple:
Get some distance. you don't need that kind of energy in your life or friends who cant be happy for you unless their lives are somehow better. Also, console yourself with the knowledge that a couple who feels the need to compete is insecure about their own marriage. Who knows? Maybe the only sex he's having is with himself.
2)The Bickerson Couple:
Do you really want to soak in all that bad couple karma? Hello-if you wanted to watch a couple duke it out, you'd watch some reruns of IN TREATMENT on HBO with a pint of Ben & Jerrys Phish food. But if you cant (or wont) phase them out of your life, don't let their baggage rub off on you. You need to learn the art of changing the subject the next time you're all together. The couple probably has no clue how awful they sound since the bickering has become such a regular pattern for them at home.
3) The Jet Setting Bachelor/Bachelorette:
There's something really comforting about married life,knowing that you and your spouse will be eating together, playing house together, and having sex together for the rest of your lives. Life has changed from lots of glittering question marks to one safe, happy period. It's not bad, it's just so permanent.
Meanwhile, over at the singles table, your friends are busy being unattached, having crazy hookups,and moving to London for 6 months(just because). On one hand, you say to yourself, "Thank god that part of my life is over" but on the other, you cant help getting a pang for their person you used to be-the free agent who didn't know what exciting trip or person was around the corner.
Your friend isn't doing anything wrong, they're just carpe-dieming. It's you who's sucking negative energy from the situation. Change your perspective. You had your own days of swinging single fun(hopefully), but you were lucky enough to find someone to give all that up for.
4) The flirty Spouse:
You'd think that once a person walks down the aisle, they'd leave a lot of their shady behavior behind. Nope, doesn't always work like that. Some marrieds even feel that they can flirt more freely, playing it off like "Huh, what? It was innocent; im married" Funny, but if your at a party and your friends spouse is trying to give you a back rub while slurring in your ear that you're, "soooooo ssssssexy" It certainly doesn't feel that innocent. Although the person you need to feel badly for is your friend who's married to the serial flirt, think about what your partner may be feeling. Even though you have no intention of acting on this person's advances, It's disrespectful to your partner to let it happen in the first place. While you cant exactly tell this person to get the hell off of you, you need to find a way to wiggle free from them.

I always speak my mind. If i do not agree with someone because i think they are doing something wrong i will tell them. I have no problem holding back what i think is right and wrong. Speaking of toxic people for the married couple i had someone i was "friends/acquaintances" with a while back. As i always do, i gave this girl the benefit of the doubt and tried to be "friends' with her. Josh had bad vibes about her from day one and my husband has very good judgement on people but i decided i needed to see that for myself. I hung out with her a few times. In conclusion josh was right about this girl. She was someone who wanted way too much attention from people other then her husband, was insecure about herself (so you always had to hear her pity party), she did not treat her husband right at all (she always made him look so worthless not to mention the things she did when he wasn't around that i heard about from people) she just had an on-going life of complaints. So i stopped talking to her. Josh was right, why would i want someone like that in my life. When we are completely happy why would we wanna surround ourselves with people who are not? This girl was a perfect example of the toxic people that try and make their way into our lives....I got an e-mail from this person not too long ago saying "you do this to friends Stephani, i have heard from countless people that amount of trash you have talked on me"......The funny thing is, i simply weed out the bad people in my life. As Josh always says "you always give people the benefit of the doubt and the minute you see a side of them that is negative or can create a problem you no longer associate your self with those people anymore" and that is so true! That is also why i have a happy marriage. Lastly, i don't talk trash on anyone. I would never say anything to hurt another person because i would never want hurtful things said about me. However i do speak my mind and if i don't agree with you and or your actions and you broadcast issues i dont agree with then I'm gonna let you know......As i have said before, aside from my former best friend...certain people are not in my life anymore for a reason : )

Oh how I love this time of year!

Fall is here, cold weather is kicking in and ohhhhhhhh how i love this time of year! Cold weather reminds me of falling in love with Josh. Our long drives late at night out to the Mountain's for no reason other then to just get away with a big ol coffee and some good music! We would have long conversations the whole way there and we would come home near 2am in the morning and call in sick from work the next day : ) I remember Dad telling us "you guys are gonna lose your jobs for how much you call in sick together". Falling in love with Josh was so much fun! It still is fun, i swear every time we have more then 1 whole day together of just spending time together i feel like i have fallen in love all over again. We had the best dinner last night after work. Josh picked me up took me to our favorite greek place, we sat outside (man was it chilly) shared a bottle of wine and talked for the longest time! Only to go home and enjoy each other even more : )

Cold weather makes me think of when we first bought our house. Last year was our first winter in our home and we made it so cozy!!! We got the dogs Halloween outfits for Halloween and my mother in law bought them little treats in hopes we would walk them by her house for some trick-or-treating. I bought Josh and I these really cool Halloween martini glasses and we had martinis while dressed up and passing out candy! It was just him and I and the dogs and it was so much fun! Aussie wasn't with us yet, we are excited to have her here this year to join in : ) This year we bought the dogs all new costumes! Kota a Skunk, Bud Boy a dinosaur and Poopoo a Bumble bee! Josh and I have a huge Halloween party to go to, i already know what i want to be but i dont want anyone jocking my idea so ill keep it to myself for now : ) We still are not sure if we are going to this party but if we do then i have a great costume in mind!

My runs are awesome now that the weather has changed! It's like running in a different state compared to how hot it has been. I can breath perfect while running, i can run without stopping and im even More motivated then i was before! Josh and I are gonna start running 2 times a week together outside on top of my running on the treadmill. Running this time of year is the best!!! I swear i work out harder then the winter then summer. Just the other day josh was like "man it looks like someone painted abs on you" whats funny is i dont do anything other then run, nice to know it pays off though!

I welcome this cold weather ,HELLO; pumpkin spice lattes, my million pairs of UGGS and leg warmers, hoodies, cuddling on the couch with my love and a big blanket, crammed nights of the dogs trying to keep warm with us in our bed, long walks, runs, scarves, snow trips, coffee at home with a little bit of baileys in it : ), bon fires in the backyard, dressing the dogs in their warm sweatshirts, staying in bed a lil longer to keep warm.....bring it!!!! : ))))))

Each Day Given Is Such A Blessing....

I wish everyone could have heard our church service this past Sunday. Wow, is all i have to say. This world is turning into something awful. People are dying, starving, homeless, earthquakes, tsunamis and fire's are breaking out everywhere and people are left with nothing but faith. You turn the news on and there is nothing but bad news. I cant help but feel for these people who are hurting right now. I wish there was something i could do to help....
I look at my life and there is not a day that goes by that I'm not thankful for all i have been blessed with. When you have a positive view on life and faith in the Lord it's hard to have a day where you feel let down. As our pastor said yesterday "too many people do not appreciate this life we have been given, they don't realize what a blessing each day is, they go about their days complaining about all the things not going right or the things they do not have thinking once they get to heaven life will be so much better, no more hurt, death or tears" and so they live life only caring about themselves and they focus on the less important things in life. The truth is every single day is blessing, appreciate life, help others, love like it's the last day, trust in the Lord with all you have and never stop giving! I pick and choose the people i allow in my life very carefully for a reason. I will not allow anyone to bring me down from where i am at. Call me crazy for not talking to some of my "old friends" anymore but there is a reason i don't talk to those people. I pray for them constantly. Pray that they find themselves, find happiness and find the Lord. And that they truly learn how to love others and not worry so much about the less important things in life.

A simple "Im thinking about you"....

So im at Wallgreens a couple of days ago before heading into work and as always Josh is on my mind. Often, while driving to work in the mornings i think about how happy i am. Aside from running, it seems to be the only time it's quiet and the only time i get a chance to just really sit back and think about this life Josh and I share. He makes me so happy and i just cannot tell him that enough. I want Josh to always be reminded of how in love with him I am and how thankful i am for all he does for me, our home and our animals. So i stopped at Wallgreens to get him a card.
When i think about how happy josh makes me it gets me all sappy and i start thinking about all the people that have really made a difference in how i view life and how appreciative i am of every little thing that is brought my way (good or bad). There are a few people that come to mind almost EVERY TIME...Dad, Grandma Dokey, My Mother-In-Law and Becky (my old best friend). Every single one of these people are amazing in different ways but what they all have in common is how big of a heart they all have. How much they give to others and dont expect a thing in return.....I decided to get cards for each of them. Just a simple card that says "thinking of you" and i wrote something special in each one. I actually bought my DAD a new book he has been wanting called The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible ...I got both him and josh one (but shhhh they dont know it yet, i haven't given it to them just yet). I sent my Grandmas card out yesterday, just telling her how much i miss her and wish i was there to take care of her they way grandpa did. To my Mother-In-Law i just thanked her for being one of my best friends, she is so strong and so beautiful in every way and because of her i have such a wonderful outlook on life....To Becky, i just told her i missed her and the girls and how i pray for them often. She may not accept my card when she gets it in the mail but life is too short to not let the one's you care about most know just how much you care!......Josh knows he has brought out the best in me, but i just dont think he knows how much i have changed for the better because of his love....and TOM, dont think i forgot about you...you are someone both Josh and I hold very dear to our hearts. You are so giving, so patient and a great friend to us. Josh really looks up to you : )

Take a moment and think about this....

This morning, while getting ready for work Josh and I were listening to the news. They were referring to the blackberry phone as the “Crackberry” and Josh was busting up laughing. He has never heard that term before and did not really understand why they called the phone a Crackberry. I explained to him that phones are so addicting now because people can have all access to the internet, facebook, myspace etc…and then he understood. Our conversation then went on to how we both feel phones and computers are eventually going to destroy so many relationships. Not that there is anything wrong with being on the internet or on your phone but people do not realize just how much time they spend worrying about other people’s business and lives by being on facebook or myspace constantly. It’s an addiction. It takes time away from what we are suppose to be doing or could be doing.
Josh gets frustrated if I’m on the computer too long once I’m home and I can completely see where he is coming from. If you think about the time we have in each day it’s not nearly enough time to spend with our loved ones or to take care of all that needs to be done around the house and with your family. The computer and these new phones distract us from what’s really important in life. What happened the good old days when people went for long walks together at night, where movie nights were a once a week ritual, reading a book together, where having a glass of wine and jut sitting on the couch and talking was more than enough, cooking together, what happened to doing things as a team?!?! Now and days one person is on their cell phone and the other on their laptop and you’re doing your own thing! I don’t ever want to turn into that couple, I want our nights to always be full of conversation and full of activities we do together and with our animals! Work is enough time away from my husband and I will not allow a computer or a phone to distract me…now the computer thing is something I may need to work on a bit but the phone I can careless about….Man, god does some amazing things when you’re walking along side him. He makes you realize the many ways the devil can try and interfere with your life, like using the computer, TV and phones to distract us from what’s really important in life! Take a moment and just think about it…

Ahhhhhhhhh Too Much work.....

Look at my desk! It is crazy how much work i have! I feel like it's the never ending work load and today as i was handed more i wanted to cry!
Broke my shoe this morning in the parking lot of work and had to drive all the way back home to get a new pair of shoes! So i didn't even make it to work till near 11:30! Guess what that means?? I will probably be here till 7pm tonight and even staying that late is not gonna get me near caught up on my work. I didn't get to eat lunch till 2pm and by the time i looked at the clock it was 4pm and it was time for me to cover the switchboard (which i do till 5:30) Blah! Please let me get through the rest of this week without going crazy! I just want to be home with my husband!

Why I dont leave the house without Josh...

Not too many people know this about me, it's something I have noticed about myself and that both my Dad and Josh know as well........ I don’t ever leave the house without Josh unless I am going to or from work or tanning on Saturday morning. I know it sounds crazy but it's true. I am scared to death of going out in public alone because EVERY TIME I do I feel I get harassed by someone. I think I'm scared of men that i don't know. I feel like they are just too aggressive and it scares me to the point where I never want to leave the house and be out in public alone. Every now and then I'll stop at the store on my lunch or my way home from work and kid you not EVERY single time I get harassed by some guy (and not to sound like a Brat but I don’t like men talking to me) …It is so uncomfortable when you hate that kind of attention. I HATE attention and that is one thing Josh and I are completely opposite about…He loves attention, he is loud and will goof off in front of anyone. I on the other hand try to avoid attention by all means.I just think it is so ridiculous that I can’t go somewhere without some pervert trying to talk to me and maybe they aren't perverts but I feel much violated when I am approached. A lot of how I feel I'm sure has to do with how in love I am with Josh. I just feel like all men should know better than to try and talk to me. But really, is it normal to feel… ugh how can I put it…scared of the world??? Every time I get enough courage to make a grocery stop or local liquor store stop on my own, my point is proved once again and once again I’m scared to leave the house. Last weekend I stopped at Albertsons after tanning only to have some weirdo that works there try and talk to me and offer to walk me to my car. Every time i do go there alone he talks to me and sometimes even follows me around to make conversation while I'm shopping. But when Josh is there he wont even look at me....That guy is the reason i avoid the store alone! A few nights ago Josh tells me Sean is coming over with some steaks to BBQ. So i said "ok I'm going to stop by the liquor store and pick up stuff to make dirty martinis" i was already sketchy on stopping there alone and Josh knew it and said "if you want, come pick me up and ll go with you" But it was on the way home and i didn't want to bother him with my stupid worries. So i get to the store and immediately without being able to shop on my own someone comes up to me and shows me everything I'm looking for (that was nice of him and i actually didn't feel harassed). That didn't last long. I leave the store and walk up to my car only to have some guy trying to flag me down in the parking lot (ohhhhhhhhhhh here we go) I hurry, close the door, start the car and start backing out...He comes all the way up to my window sticks his phone up to the window asking for my number! how rude!!!! I show him my ring and shake my head at him and he put his phone away and walks away....i proceed to pull away and as I'm getting ready to turn onto the main street another guy is flagging me down! Are you serious?!? Is this a joke? This is why i don't go anywhere alone and why does this happen to me every time! Josh says I'm too nice and i need to be more of a B**** when I'm approached....I just feel like men should have more respect for women. I'm not wearing anything to flaunt myself, i try my hardest not to make eye contact with anyone either so why bug me! I was never like this before, i don't know why I'm so scared of men now...Maybe it's from all the Americas Most Wanted and Cops i watch or maybe it's because I'm so head over heels ln love with my husband i don't want any attention from anyone but him....I just wish i could get over it and not be so scared to go places alone. But the truth is i don't think ill ever get over it! Ill continue to stay home and clean on Saturdays and not move that hummer until josh comes walking through that door and ill continue driving to work and straight home every night and stay home until josh is there to drive me where i need to go....I'm just lucky he doesn't mind and that my fears make him feel like he is my protector by all means.....Maybe just maybe one day ill ummm GROW some BALLS i guess....

Buddy Boy

This morning while running on the treadmill, the dogs were running around chasing one another, Aussie was screaming and all i could think was man i love this life of mine. Last night while BBQing in the back Josh and I were talking about the day we brought Buddy home. Our family was more then enough before him and we did not plan on getting another dog any time near soon! Heck, we had not even brought Aussie home yet, we had another month or so before we could even bring her home when buddy came along. I had a Golden and Lab growing up and always wanted my own when they both passed away. I got Kota (our lab) 4 years ago, she was the first dog i bought and paid for everything all on my own and my dad was nice enough to let me have her at his house being i was still living there at the time. Kota was no cheap dog. I paid a lot for her and she has been my spoiled little girl since the day i brought her home. I remember picking her up and driving her home the day i bought her and on the way she peed all over me! I had to drive all the way home soaking wet!!! Gross! LOL When Josh and i got together i had Sierra, Kota and Tinker already. We bought Aussie after our honeymoon in Australia and could not bring her home for 3 or 4 months! I remember visiting her every Sunday till we could bring her home she was gonna be our first animal together and we could not wait to get her home. Josh knew i wanted a Golden for quiet some time but our house was already so hard to clean everyday it wasn't even an option to get another dog. Josh's best buddy Sean came over one day and was talking about moving into our back room because he didn't have anywhere to stay at the time. I told him if he moved in our back room he could get a dog and keep it back there with him and mentioned he should get a golden so i could have my golden fix : ) He thought it was a great idea so immediately i google Golden's for sale nearby. We find a few places selling them and the stop at the nearest place. We walk in and there are two Golden's left! They were the cutest little things!!!!!!! I picked one up (buddy) and he just went limp he was such a little cuddle bug!! Sean was all excited about getting the puppy and then Josh looked at me and said "i have to you get him, look at you" "sean i think i have to buy her this dog, she has wanted one forever and i cant say no"............I was sooooooo excited, i did not think Josh would say i could get him and i didn't even have to ask him he just knew!!! We paid for everything and drove home. On the way home we decided to name him Buddy because Josh kept petting him saying "hi buddy"so Buddy it was!!!
We pulled up to the house and decided to introduce him to our animal crew in the front yard. Our dogs were not having him at all. As the night went on i noticed Kota and Sierra distancing themselves from us. They wouldn't come outside while we were BBQing, they wouldn't go in any room Buddy was in and at night they wouldn't even sleep in bed with us : ( I didn't sleep that whole night. I was so worried my other 2 dogs were so mad at me. The next morning (Monday) i got ready and Josh took me to work. Before leaving i said by to the dogs and Buddy was hiding under the bed and Kota and Sierra didn't even walk me to the door like they normally do when i leave. I was so hurt that they were hurt! I got to work and cried non-stop for about an hour. I called Josh and said "take that puppy back, kota and poopoo hate me now and this is not fair to them" I was crying like someone just died and pretty soon everyone at work was coming up to me asking what was wrong. I felt like such a baby to say im crying about my dogs! Josh called the place we got buddy from and no one answered or returned our call the whole day. He was seriously gonna take him back for me but no one would pick up his calls. That night i got home and Josh calmed me down a lot. He showed me pictures of what buddy did all day long and even showed me that Kota was playing him....I changed my mind and we decided to keep him.......I look at our life now and cannot see it without Buddy! Buddy was the perfect balance to our house and he makes Sierra feel young again and makes Kota feel important because he looks up to her so much! And he makes Aussie laugh because he is always in trouble and Tinker stay young because he is always chasing her....and he makes Josh and I feel like we have given him the best life a dog can have!!! I don't think Buddy knew what was in store for him the day we picked him up! He did not realize he was about to live a wonderful life full of sooo much love and a life in which he is included in EVERYTHING his parents do....And i don't think i realized how much he would benefit our household : ) Everything happens for a reason and i love my animals soooooooooo much!!!!!