What do you you do when...?

... you come to the end of a To-Do list pad? Stop making lists?

This is my conundrum on my 1st DAY OFF OF WORK! Get in or get out I got a horse to saddle!

I took my 1st sick day for an eye appointment today and my eyes are dilated so forgive me for any spelling faux pauxs. (Guarantee that is one right there.)

Here is my to-do list.
1. eye appointment -- check dilated eyes -- check
2. blog -- check
3. dishes
4. laundry
5. vacuum --- I HATE to vacuum but this is the only way I can torture our dog because she hates it more than I do.
6. Get stuff: paint, painter's tape, ply wood
7. Paint accent wall
8. Pick up BC. No Chic kids yet.
9. Cook -- we may be camping tonight so that might entail putting hot dogs and buns in the cooler. Go me.
10. Get Mama's present

Tomorrow is Mama's 40th - ish birthday! :)

Last year, "she was learning to scuba dive" and I was "playing Mama to HayBee with a very broken finger".

This year we're going to do it up big -- Kansas style. Prayers for Mama because this will be one of very few years up until now that her parents will not be around to help celebrate. Gramma is in Texas "on vacation" at a different Bed & Breakfast, Lake House, Bank Trip, Condo each night -- you name it, she is "vacationing" there.

I am reminded this morning how THANKFUL I am to have Mama and Daddy around whenever I need them for support, especially with the struggles I am having at work. They are such an encouragement and blessing to both Gardener Guy and Chic Chick.



So, "Happy Happy Birthday from your blog friends to you -- we wish it was our birthday so we could party too, hey!"

Mama love and all of mine!

PS. Today is Gardener Guy's last day at his job! Hooray! He will be gradually taking over Boss Daddy D's business. He'll be Window Guy after tonight --- eh, I still love my Gardener Guy!

The To Do List

Life to do list.
(Don't be confused, this is not a "bucket list", but rather a survive before you can thrive list. )

-Find a job. Check

-Find a home. Check

-Finish Student Teaching, successfully. Check.

-5 year anniversary with Gardener Guy. Check.

-Dinner with sorority friends. Check.

- Pedicure with HayBee. Check.

-Graduate. Almost check.

I feel like I have been looking forward to May 7th all year, honestly. That was to be the last day of Student Teaching, my 5 year anniversary with Gardener Guy and prepping to graduate. I haven't had time to reflect on this semester, year or college experience to really let it sink in that I will be moving on to adulthood. Real adulthood, with bills and a paycheck (!!).

Tomorrow, I get to go home to work in the garden and get it ready for the wedding with Gardener Guy's direction. When planning for the wedding, I always thought to myself, "Self, the wedding soiree will sink in when it is close enough that you can plant in the garden." Yippee it is here!

***
This just in. (As is just popped into my mind!) In my midst of getting out Save the Dates, Wedding Invites, Graduation Announcements and passing the word about Showers, I have not had the time or creativity to create Graduation Party invites. If you would like to come out for the festivities, you are MORE THAN WELCOME!
***

Who: You and your family!

What: Graduation Celebration

When: May 15th. My graduation is at 11am, GG's is at 2:30. We will have light lunch in between and BBQ after his.

Where: Manhappy: Bramlage Coliseum and GG's house

To bring: A lawn chair for each rear that would like a place to sit! Your presence is gift enough!

RSVP: If you can plan in advance, that's great. If not and you show up, we'll be around back of the house! :)

Graduation love and all of mine!

Please leave a message at the beep.

Beep.

I am productive today.

I am being patient after my interview for the ESL Coordinator job at Prairie View.
I emailed a few principals to keep my name out there in the job market.
I washed my car inside and out. I had a bug cemetery on my front bumper.
I ran a load of dishes.
I made chocolate chip pancakes and cheesy scrambled eggs, for one. Don't ask me about my diet.
I am working on addressing envelopes for invitations. It's going to cost more, and not look as nice, but I'm a "M" so I'm doing it myself.

Tomorrow night, I am going to stuff all the envelopes with those lovely invitations from Auntie J.
Friday they will be in the hands of the United States Postal Service. And, I will be in the hands of my favorite ladies treating me to a bachelorette party!

How lovely is this bridal bouquet?
Via Kiss the Groom.

Random love and all of mine!

The Countdown Continues, still.

2 months. 9 weeks. 61 days.

I don't really count down by days, or months, or even weeks. I count down by weekends. Weekends are the only times that I am back home and can really get down to business.

9 weekENDS until the Big Show!
Weekend 1: No definite plans but would like to go home to take a load of furniture.
Weekend 2: My Bachelorette Shower in KC and Baby Lisa's Prom -- you should see her dress, wowza!
Weekend 3: Gardener Guy's cousin's Wedding and my Bridal Shower at Sonita Maria's house
Weekend 4: Our 5 year dating anniversary -- I'm hoping for a dinner date!
Weekend 5: Graduation and Grad party! K's Bachelorette Party
Weekend 6: K's Wedding!
Weekend 7: Sorority Sis's Wedding/Memorial Day Weekend
Weekend 8: Does City-Wide Garage Sale count? JK. Weekend 8 will be Controlled Chaos.
Weekend 9: Wedded Bliss Begins!

I will be able to get things accomplished after Weekend 5, I'm almost positive!

Countdown love and all of mine!

Let Some Bunny Love You

I had the most wonderful birthday and Easter weekend! It was full of family, fun and "foo foo la la diddly dee", which is to say wedding stuff.

It started getting home on Thursday evening. I got to see all of the progress on Northview. It is shaping up to be a great starter house!

Friday, Mama and I went to my first dress fitting. It was so fun to play dress up again and I can't wait to try the dress on again next month! After the fitting, okay-ed the invitations, bought stamps, and got rejected from the Court House to pick up our marriage license because I was 3 minutes late. Seriously, when does a court house close at 3:30?

Friday evening Gardener Guy's parents picked me up, we visited a young couple who had twins (on April Fool's Day!). We visited the babies in the NIC Unit and I had a rough go. I got overheated and lost my breath and had to leave. GG says that I should not think about having babies any time soon. He must be "outside his mind." We met his sister and bro-outlaw for dinner and then went to a live theater for his parents' 30th wedding anniversary! They treated us to Cheesecake Factory afterwards!


On Saturday morning, Mama and I picked up the invitations and then had an invitation party. We also bought bubbles at Wal-Mart. I hadn't planned on throwing anything after the ceremony but maybe a picture with bubbles would be pretty adorable. We found a quote and tied cards to the bubbles that read, "After the ceremony, please blow bubbles of good wishes for the new Mr. & Mrs." Cute huh?

Saturday evening, The Fam and Gardener Guy's family had dinner for my birthday and we toured Northview. We also played a couple rounds of Bocce ball in our yard. It made got me anxiously excited for the Backyard Chic wedding and reception! Also, GG's family got me a spa giftcard! :) The ladies are planning a spa day a few weeks before the wedding. I'm thinking about a manicure and a Get a Glow facial.
Mama D and JoJo. Check out that Birthday Dinner spread!
Bocce Ball!
Stratty loved Mama's Easter Bunny

22 candles!

Sunday morning was my birthday and Easter Sunday! We went to church and Daddy had an rejuvenating sermon about promises and prophecies. I met Gardener Guy's family for Easter lunch and more bocce ball. We laughed and laughed and I was voted out of the family for not letting Daddy D win. I think that they will reconsider. GG's Mama and sisters were patient in listening to my wedding drama and gave advice that helped to clear the air.

Sunday afternoon, we had our family Easter Egg Hunt and Gramma and GranDaddy's house. I had such a good time that I didn't leave home until 8pm and didn't return to my apartment until after 10:30pm. I only have 4 roundtrips left until I graduate and I cannot wait to settle in on Sunday afternoon without dreading a 2 hour drive.

Fun filled weekends and all of mine!

Spring Break: Kansas Style

Spring Break: Kansas Style includes bi-polar weather, pulling honeysuckle roots, snuggling with doll babies and paint fumes. And, last but not least, crossing things off of my To Do list!

Here is a picture book of my Spring Break:

Chapter 1: Home and Yard Renovation at Northview

Mama "Marie" in Daddy's coat, so don't judge her. "Helloo!!
She's sneaking up to the Love Shack to survey the damage.

South of Northview (See: Love Shack) before My Guy showed the landscaping who's boss.


Daddy and I rocked these outfits for 4 days strong. On Friday, the weather was warm enough to take our sweatshirts off!

Shiver me timbers this gives me goosebumps.
Word to the wise: NEVER plant honeysuckle.
We worked well together. He was the coach, I was MVP.

Daddy felled limbs, Mama and I dragged them to The Pile.
These punks? They sat around and took a long break.
Baby Lisa was a pretty good Water Girl though.

I work hard for the money. So hard honey, honey.


Daddy and My Guy felled a lot of trees as this was the small pile.
Hope Rent-a-Son is up to the challenge!
Let's move on from Northview, shall we?


Chapter 2: Wedding Decor

Spray painted shepherd's hooks for the Unity Candle in the ceremony.
Spray painted old chalkboards from Mama's classroom

Upcoming project:
Spray paint this gate white and use clothes pins to clip pictures of B & L.
See the legs at the bottom? We will shove those in the ground so that the gate stands up tall.
Don't forget about the pomanders!


Chapter 3: Playing Dress Up
Baby Lisa, Spiderman, Hay Bee, and Baby B
We bribed Spiderman to try on his suit for a bite sized Snickers. It worked.
One day when Aunt L isn't looking, Hay Bee and I are going to take him back to college with us.
No pic of Baby B as she was, uh.. petrified.. of the tutu. Rats.

Bear on the other hand "loved this". Would you agree that she has King in her blood?

"I love this. Mommy love this."
Her Daddy J taking a pic for Mommy S while PaPa and Big J are looking on.

Speaking of Big J, he was not a fan of the suit. We were prepared with chocolate again and after some sweet talking from his Mamaw, he was dressed up.

Epilogue: Only because I am assuming you have stopped reading by this point.
Sick of the picture book?
If not, enjoy these out-takes that didn't make the picture book chapters.


I think we were about to bust a move.
That would be me and Hay Bee, not My Guy. Remember, he doesn't dance.
Yep, there she goes.
Then, she went all Khloe Kardashian on me. I was walking back from the shed, she literally jumped on piggy-back and then brought me to the ground. Apparently she didn't do enough manual labor if she had enough energy to jump on me.
And tickled me. The WORST torture ever.
Harley is licking my wounds.
Didn't even phase My Guy because this is a regular occurrence with Hay Bee around.

She tackled me right into a big pile of mud, dirt, leaves, roots, branches and probably cigarette butts from the old tenant. Barf.

On a similar note: I am terrified of the toast she will be giving at the reception.
Little does she know that we will have a kill-switch for the mic.


Here is a shout out to Harley, Z's bird dog.
Harley will be My Guy's Golden Retriever, Jasmine, Personal Trainer to get her back in shape.
This dog had been cooped up all winter (that's what you are supposed to do with bird dogs) and when we let her out to run, she held no resentment for the long winter's negligence.
Got to love dogs.
Plus, when you say "Kennel Up" she runs to the gate to pen herself up.
I guess Z has trained her.

What did you do with the Spring weather?

Spring Break love and all of mine!

Paperwork Schmaperwork

Tomorrow, My Guy and I will go the courthouse to apply for our marriage license.

I hate paperwork. I never have the documents I need. I never even know what documents I'm supposed to have are, let alone where those documents are located!

On a side note, next year at this time I will be waist deep wading through taxes and I will probably be in tears. But why go there?


Because I am all about lists (thank you Daddy) I have prepared a rough list of what you need to get married in Kansas:
-Two forms of identification: Driver's license, Social Security card, passport will all work

-We will both be present, but only one person is required. Which led me to tell My Guy: If we are both in the joint agreement to get married, we will both be present to apply for the license, end of discussion.

-3 day waiting period and the license is valid for 6 months

-$75 cash: license fee and surcharge

-Neither myself nor My Guy have previously been married so we didn't even read through that clause. We also ignored the clauses about cousin marriages, same sex marriages, common law marriages, and under-age marriages.

That should be it!

Knowing my luck, the County Clerk will be on vacation, or the office will be closed on Fridays, or not taking applications for young, naive, in-love couples.

Wish me luck and send up a prayer for us to be patient tomorrow and our upcoming marriage while you are at it!

Love and Marriage love and all of mine!

Backyard Chic meets Frontyard Fabulous!

One of the last few big things that Blake and I have crossed off our to-do list (and I live by my to-do list!) is where we will live after the wedding!

My Guy took a job in Olathe with the company he did an internship for last summer, Brickman. I am still in the discouraging process of finding a teaching job so we weren't sure where to look for a house. We liked the idea of living in Spring Hill and Paola, but hadn't thought about living in Oz. When we started to realize all of our bills that would be piling up after graduation, I became a bit panicked.

That's when Dear Ol' Daddy stepped in and saved the day! He offered for us to move into one of his properties, which is located... in my parents' front yard! Bring on the summer BBQs!

Have I learned nothing from Everybody Loves Raymond you ask? Do Frank and Marie not hit a little to close to home you wonder? I'm not worried and Blake isn't either, or else he is an awesome actor!Ray, Robby, Marie, Frank and Debra: what's not to love?

Renovation pictures are sure to come!

New house love and all of mine!