Christmas Time

Alright, I'm back. It's been a while since writing. I've thought about it many times the past few months but I have not had much time to sit down and write. But here I go :) Life is amazing right now. I'm engaged to the most amazing man I could ever ask for. I could not be happier than I am right now. I am joining a family that have been nothing short of amazing. I love spending time with Blake and his parents and friends and family. He also fits right into my family. I could not ask for a better man to marry. Last night, my family had our annual family mass. We did a little activity with some yarn. Father Ross started out by saying to someone why he was grateful for him/her. Then the next person did the same and so on and so on. That activity got me thinking about what I am grateful for this holiday season. I have so many things in my life that I am grateful for. I just want to share them with you all.

• I am grateful for my parents who have put up with me and helped me through everything. I could not ask for a better set of parents.
  
• I am grateful for Blake. Without him, I'd be nothing. He is the most amazing and patient person I have ever met. If it weren't for his patience, we would not be where we are. We have been through so much together, which have made us stronger friends. I love him with all my heart and cannot wait to be with him for the rest of my life.
  
• I am grateful for such amazing brothers. Jay, Kevin and Greg are so incredibly strong and have shown me that I can do anything and overcome anything if I put my mind and heart into it.
  
• I am grateful for an extended family who have helped turn me into the person I am today.
  
• I am grateful for Blake's family, my new family. They have welcomed me with open arms and have shown me so much love.
• I am grateful for such amazing friends that love me no matter what! They are always there for me and help me with anything.
  
• I am grateful for all of my past experiences. We all need good and bad experiences to show us how to live, what we want or don't want, and make us who we are today. Without these experiences, life would be boring and who wants a boring life?
• I am grateful for the job that I have. While I would like something more and different, I am grateful to have a job in this economy. I love the hugs and kisses that I get from those kids every day. They teach me patience and love and I am so grateful for them.
• I'm grateful for our military men and women that serve our country. I believe that without them doing their jobs, we would not have a country like we do. They risk so much for people that they don't even know. The people that are willing to do that are so incredibly selfless and that is truly amazing.

I am so grateful for many more things but these are just a few. So Christmas is in just a few days and it's the first Christmas that Blake and I get to spend together as a couple. I cannot wait. I love Christmas because it's a time for family and now I have two incredibly amazing families that I love deeply and want to share this time with. Blake and I will be spending Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with my family, then Christmas day with his mom and step dad and then the next saturday with his dad and grandma. It makes things crazy having so many places to go but it's going to be great! I cannot wait. I just wish Greg and Lisa and Tayson were coming in but we get to see them in less than a year when they come in for the wedding!!! :) Blake and I are planning our wedding too! We are getting married on October 2, 2010. It's not too far away but knowing each other for three years, we didn't think we could wait too much longer. :) Blake just bought a house for us to live in!! It's gorgeous and I absolutely love it! He picked it out and placed a bid before I even saw it! I was not worried because I trust his judgement. I knew that if he loved this house so much that it must really be awesome and it is! It's three bed rooms, two baths. It's in Glasgow which means I am moving down there. It's going to be hard being away from my family, but Blake's is down there so we will be close to one family. Plus I feel much more at home down there. I love it. I cannot wait to start the next phase in our life. I just hope October comes quickly!!!! :)
This is Blake and I at dinner after we got engaged!! :)

Update

Wow, so lots has happened since I last wrote. Nathan and I broke up and while it stunk, it was time. We both realized that it wasn't going to happen between us and it was time we went our separate ways. We are still friends and talk and are happier that way. Since then, I have started dating one of my really good friends I met at WKU. I have known Blake for two and a half years and have been through so much crap with him yet we have remained friends. I think that being friends for so long has helped strenghten our relationship. We are so incredibly happy and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us. :)

I have also graduated and moved back in with my parents. While it's not horrible, I still want to be back on my own. I'm not used to having someone around all the time. I'm not used to someone waiting for me to get home at night. I really want to be back in Bowling Green and in my own place or a place with friends. That I would be happy with. I do have a new job though. I am working in a small day care at Transitions in NKY. I have only been there for three days but I do LOVE it! I love the girls I work with and am having so much fun.

I have been doing some traveling. I went to Alaska with Jay and Kevin (my brothers) to see our other brother Greg and his girlfriend Lisa and her little boy Tayson. We had so much fun sight seeing and just hanging out. It's been a while since we have hung out like that. Right now, I am in Destin Florida with my amazing and wonderful boyfriend Blake. We are staying with his aunt and uncle and are having so much fun. Laying on the beach, playing on the wave runner and going to the Naval Air Museum so far has been wonderful. What will the rest of the week bring? Who knows! But bring it on!

Lately since I have graduated college, I've been soul searching. I am questioning some things within myself and about religion and while I haven't found many answers, I need to question things in order to grow. I thought that my best friend was going to be so mad at me but she isn't! I'm so happy. She's completely supportive. She knows what she wants for me but she also knows that I need to do this in order to grow and find myself. I love her to death and would probably freak out if she would have disapproved. I'll figure things out eventually. But this is what life is all about. :)

I absolutely love where I am right now. Things may be hard with Blake 3.5 hours away but we have been making it work. We see each other usually on weekends but hopefully soon we won't have to commute to spend time with each other. We are hoping to be in the same area soon. As of right now, we see each other when we can and talk every day and night. It's hard for either one of us now to go to bed unless we have said good night to the other. We can talk about anything and if we don't agree on a subject and can't come to a good conclusion, we agree to disagree. That's the way we have always been though. Nothing between our friendship has changed with makes me so happy. I enjoy just being with him. There is nothing I can't talk to him about. He's the first one I run to when I'm having a problem or just need to vent. Being with him is amazing and I couldn't ask for a better man in my life.

Here are some pictures from my trips thus far. :)

This weekend

This weekend was great. I was able to go home to see all three of my brothers! I had so much fun with them. While we didn't spend a whole lot of time together, we did hang out on Saturday night and had dinner on Sunday. My brothers are the three of the best guys that I know. I wish I could see them more than I do. I see Jay and Kevin more often because they still live in the NKY area. Greg, I wish I could see more than once a year. My main goal after I graduate is to go up to visit Greg in Alaska. I really want to go back. It's so amazing and it is so peaceful. To go up there, I need money. I am determined to find a job so that I can pay for the trip. I will get back up there.
This is from dinner on Sunday. It took my mom quite a few tries to get a decent picture of all the boys. They tend to make funny faces at the camera. It's very amusing when we're all together.

I didn't want to come back down today, even though I knew I needed to. Greg was leaving to head back to Alaska.

This blog might be a little random, but here it is :)

Just Me.

SO I have had this thing for a while now and I haven't done anything with it. I guess I should let you know about myself. I could go into this long exlanation of myself but instead I think I'm just going to put random facts about myself because that's who I am...random! :)

• I love my family. They mean the most to me
• My friends make my day.
• I love to dance. I wish I was still able to take classes. It is my get-a-way
• I hate winter...well the cold.
• I am addicted to Private Practice. I wish Taye Diggs was a real doctor. lol
• I love football. The Bengals are my fave...I know you may say they suck, but I'm not a fair weather fan. I have faith in them.
• I eventually want to go to Russia.
• I love going to church and church activities.
• My favorite colors are pink and green.
• I have every season of Gilmore Girls on DVD. I miss watching it with my mom every Tuesday.
• Law and Order SVU is my weakness.
• So You Think You Can Dance is hands down my favorite show. I don't answer my phone when I am watching it.
• I love to read.
• I love music...anything that isn't rap.
• Alaska is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. I want to go back.
• I have a strange obsession with Tinkerbell.
• I wish I could be on Broadway and do what I love most-sing and dance.
• I will graduate in May
• I love to smile and i hate to be upset.
• Kids are my passion.
• I love pictures.
• I don't like coconut, probably because it makes me sick every time I eat it. We think that I have an allergy towards it.
• I am a musical theater junkie. My favorites are Wicked, Rent, Mama Mia
• I hate when people "shush" others or make that sound, I hate the word moist.
• I am lover and a fighter- I fight for what I love.
• I've learned not to regret anything. At one point it's exactly what I wanted and made me smile.
• I've learned a lot of life lessons while being away at school.
• I love to do puzzles.
• My mom is one of my best friends. I can tell her pretty much anything. I love her!
• I grew up with three brothers and looking back on it, I wouldn't change it for anything! They taught me how to be tough.
  

• There's a lot more to me than just this. There's more than what you see.