Look who's sleeping...

I wanted to share this picture I took this morning...

Honeymoon ideas, anyone?

Our goal over this holiday break is to figure out and book our honeymoon. We are currently considering going to St. Martins, but we are open to any other suggestions. I have composed a list of things that I would like to do during our honeymoon. I'm still waiting to compare my list to Brians.

Here is my list!

1. Swim with dolphins (I don't know why, but I have ALWAYS wanted to do this)
2. Spa day (duh!)
3. Beach
4. Eat some amazing food (that's a given)
5. Zip line through the forest (probably not possible)
6. Shopping
7. Hiking
8. Fishing (this is for Brian)
9. Snorkeling
10. Horseback Riding

There is my list of things I would like to do. I will be happy if I could do at least half of those things. :)

He is so Photogenic!

Poor Charlie...

Today was a big day for charlie, he went "under the knife". That is right, our little boy got fixed today. He is so pitiful. He just whines and moans the whole time...it just breaks my heart. He has not figured out how to manage the whole collar around his neck. They recommend that he wear this for 10 days. Which should be interesting. I guess it will get better with time.

We are heading to Chicago on Friday afternoon and will not return until Sunday. Abby, my sister, has agreed to take care of Charlie while we are gone, only we did not expect him to be in this condition. We thought he would be healed up in a few days. And he still may be...figures crossed. We may end up finding a different alternative considering that two other dogs live in Abby's apartment.

We will keep you updated on Charlie's condition.

Square it is!

Over the past several months of planning a wedding, I have figured out the few things that really mean the most to me. One being the cake. Now I know to most I may be crazy; for one...spending what I did on the cake and two... for actually meeting half-way the day of my wedding to pick up the cake. But, it's all worth it to me. I only get married once. Right? Go all out! Brian and I met with Brenda, the owner of Sugar Forest, the lady who will be making our cake. Our cake is going to not only look amazing, it is also going to taste amazing. We got a mix of wedding white with almond- vanilla butter cream filling and decadent chocolate that uses Ghirardelli. Now, it would not be right if we did not have chocolate cake at my wedding.

This picture is very similar to our wedding cake. We will not have that feather at the top and it will be square. We want to find a big "S" to put on the top of the cake. So, be on the look out.

Charlie Scott

Thanksgiving/New fav country song!

I got a promotion at work. I can't remember if I had shared it with my blog readers or not. So, now you know. I am now over the whole Service team ( 2 people ha ha). Anyways, I am pretty excited regardless of how many people I am over.

Today we had our Thanksgiving dinner at the office for all of our members and it was very successful. I was in charge of bringing the Turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. I now know why people would rather make instant mashed potatoes instead of real--and I only had to peel 6 potatoes. I think it took me longer to do that then to prepare and make the stuffing. Let me give a quick shout out to my mom for all of the potatoes that she has peeled in her life...it has to be in the hundred-thousands. So, thank you mom for all the real mashed potatoes you have made for me and everyone else. I came home with empty dishes...10 pound turkey-gone, stuffing/mashed potatoes-gone.

I want to leave all of you with my favorite country song.....Ben G. I think you will REALLY like this song. :) This will turn you into a country fan for sure!

My Response to Brian...

A Rebuttal

I know it has been quite a while since I last posted, but I feel now is a good time to get back in to it. Amanda's most recent post needs to be refuted. She has absolutely not put on any weight and she might be crazy for thinking so. Everyone who read her post now has a very slight idea of what I go through on a daily basis, Amanda complaining about her non-existent weight problem.
The reason I think she does not need to do 45 minutes of cardio 4-5 days a week is because she has bad knees, knees that bother her when she runs too much. Although I don't have a degree in any health related field, I feel it is common sense to not pursue an activity too severely that will cause pain and possibly irreversible damage to ones knees.
The main reason for this post was to let everyone know Amanda is not telling the truth, but on another note, the famous birthmark on my stomach has been removed. We decided to remove it as a proactive measure so years down the line there is no chance of it becoming cancerous. As a result, I will have an awesome new scar that I will be able to tell completely false stories about how I got it.

Working out

Well it's official I have put on some weight--Abby told me so. I am back to working out consistently like I used too and figures crossed I will be able to lose some of this weight I have put on. It's crazy to think that all day long I encourage people to lose weight by eating healthy and getting exercise into their daily activity, while at the same time keep them staying motivated. But for some reason I can not do that myself. I think I need a weight management coach to coach me. I was discussing with Brian today that I needed to increase my cardio workout to at least 45 minutes 4-5 days a week. He insist that, that is an awful idea. I only need to do that maybe once a week according to him. About 95% of the time I will take Brian's advice, but when it comes to exercise...NOWAY!!!! So, I plan on keeping everyone posted on my status of how my ups and downs go throughout this weight loss phase.

...Brian bought a king size snickers today and claimed he bought it for me. I don't think I have ever bought a candy bar for myself. haha! See what I have to work with!!!!

Maybe I can get him to jump on the band wagon.

Christmas times ah coming.....

Today I went with my sister and her roommate to get decorations for their Christmas tree (they put it up today). It was so exciting. Christmas is my favorite Holiday! I look forward to putting up my Christmas tree the day after thanksgiving. I would put it up sooner, but Brian and Kyle seem to think that is an awful idea. I totally disagree! And I would probably put one up now, but I don't have a tree. That is my next purchase. So, instead I will wear my Christmas pj's and listen to my Christmas music. Once I have a tree there will be no promises that I will continue to put the Christmas tree up the day after thanksgiving...it may be earlier!

YES WE DID!!!

THANK YOU JESUS!

Pictures from Halloween!

Brian and I would like to share some of our Halloween pictures with you. I went as Kyle Scott--one of our friends who secretly wishes he was from Morehead. And Brian went as a Lumber Jack. Enjoy!

update on Charlie.

As most of you know, Charlie has been very sick the past couple weeks. He was losing weight, not eating and sleeping all day. After realizing these symptoms we figured it was time to call the vet. He had tape worms, hook worms, and round worms. This explained his lack of appetite and energy. We got him on the meds and after a week still saw no change. So, that Friday I took him back to the Vet where i stayed for four hours to hear the news that Charlie could possibly have 1 of 3 things wrong with him. Kidney failure, tumor, or addisons disease. When i asked my options, I realized I could not afford to any of the treatment options. Unfortunantely, Brian was teaching class and was not there with me. Needless to say I was crying like a big baby and I was by myself and I could hear Charlie barking in the background. To make a long story short we decided to do an ultra sound and found out that he has Addisons Disease. It is very rare for puppys to be diagnosed at such a young age it usually takes several years. We were so excited! Granted we don't want our dog to have a disease, but we will take that over kidney failure! He will take a pill everyday and a shot once a month. He is now eating regularly and gaining weight. His energy is back to where it used to be and things are going great!
I will post pictures of him soon!

Betty Crocker and Charlie

Part of my job is to bring in samples from the Thin and Healthy recipe book for our members to try. I was worried at first because I've tried cooking and failed every time. So, for the first weeks of "goody days"I brought in desserts. I mean those are the only things I'm good at and there are plenty of recipes in the cookbook. But once someone mentioned that "you loving making desserts" I figured it's probably time for me to start changing it up. I have made several different dinner dishes and they have been very successful. People in my office call me Betty Crocker! I'm so proud of myself. Maybe Brian won't starve after all!

Update on Charlie! He is growing right before our eyes. I love him like I would love my child. I look forward to coming home at lunch and after work to see him. He loves to chew on anything he can and we are patiently teaching him not to do that but it's going to take time. His hair has finally grown back and he is healthy. His training classes are going great. Well, we have only had one. I must say I was a proud parent at his first class because he caught on quicker than any other dog! That's my BOY!

What's up with all the booing?

While at the UK football game today, I thought of a blog post that must be written. Now, for all of you who know me, know that I'm not that into football. I enjoy going to the game getting my diet coke, water, and kettle corn. It keeps me occupied till at least the 3rd quarter where at that point I'm usually ready to go home. But, I know that there is no way that would ever happen. No matter what the score you know that Brian and I will still be at the game till the clock reads 0:00. Once we head out of the stadium I over hear thousands of complaining or excited UK fans. Brian is usually one of the many speaking his mind. Poor thing usually has me to confide in and lord knows I have no idea what went on. I just know whether we won or lost. I make sure to let him know that I'm paying attention by the occasional nod of the head or "oh yeah totally, I know". But then he usually realizes that I really don't care, it's just a game, and he'll call his dad who seems to be able to complain right a long with him.

So, the point of this blog is how low can UK fans really be? During the 4th quarter with the sun beating down on my pale skin, something caught my attention. It was the booing of the crowd. Once again Hartline threw another bad pass. Seriously, is it necessary to boo our own quarterback? Bless his little heart, he is trying his best and the least we could do as fans is boo under our breath, not out loud. No wonder the kid can't complete a pass because no one believes in him. We've got the deal with what we got and pray things getting better. I mean the kid is only a sophomore (red shirt). So, there are my views on UK football!

I'm going to leave you all with an important question. Should our wedding cake be square or round? Please answer in the poll on the right hand side of the page.

Meet Charlie!

Meet Charlie! On Saturday this little cutie was added to our now growing family. I could not resist myself when someone asked me if I would be interested in getting a lab. The previous owner had dropped him off at the pet store and told them that he was unable to take care of him.

Some might think we don't know what we're getting ourselves into and maybe we don't. But we feel it is a great addition to our family. It is something we have always wanted and we are willing and fully capable of taking responsibility of this little life and giving it a loving and caring home.

My love...besides Bri!

I must say that I get made fun of a lot for my love of sweets. Fortunately, for me I could care less. Recently, I have been making some AMAZING chocolate chip cookies. They seriously look as good as they taste-they might even taste a little bit better than they look. I felt the need to show off my skill and take a picture for all of you to see. Now, I know you would love to try them and just maybe if you come visit me, I might just make a batch just for you!


Enjoy!

Can I get a chocolate milkshake, please?

I have been in Lima, Ohio since Sunday and will not return home till Friday evening. My training starts at 8am and goes until 7pm. I have to do this Monday-Thursday and on Friday, I'm finished by 12:30.

After training today, I decided to try out one of the chocolate protein supplements. I bought a bottle of water and a supplement and was on my way. I mixed the water and supplement and found that it was turning a red color. She had given me the cherry gelatin mix. Ok, disgusting! So, after dinner I was still craving something chocolate so I go to dairy queen. I asked if they had hard dipped ice cream and the girl said "yes, but only in chocolate". If you all could have seen my face you would have thought I was 11 years old getting four scoops of chocolate ice cream at the old DQ in Morehead. I asked her if she could make it into a milkshake and proceed to tell her that I like my milkshakes thick. She was like "Sure". I get my milkshake and get into the car. I take a sip to find that it was vanilla soft serve with little chocolate pieces in it. I get out of the car and ask her if this was "chocolate hard dipped ice cream" she looked at me as though I was an idiot and said, "YES". I left. I know what hard dipped ice cream looks like and taste like and this is SOOO not it. Well, I was not going to be out done. I decided I would go to Arbys and get a Jomoca shake. I wait in the long line at Arbys, as usual, get my shake and head back to the Hotel. It's seriously not my day. The milkshake doesn't even have a taste! At this point I had given up, I would just get my 100 calorie bar and be done with it. I walked into the hotel pissed and annoyed, but only to be thrilled, excited, and satisfied. There on the front counter were WARM CHOCHOLATE CHIP COOKIES! Thank you god!


I have decided that no one can make a milkshake as good as my papaw. Therefore, I will not get my hopes up for a milkshake anymore!

Wedding planning...

It seems as though the wedding planning is coming right a long. I found my wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses this past weekend at a local dress store in Morehead. I'm so happy that I was able to find everything that I was looking for locally! It seems as though my wedding party continues to get bigger, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm so excited! The next big step would be the cake tasting...Now, I already know who I want to do the cake and what flavor(s) that I want, but it is a RULE that you go cake tasting. I mean, I love CAKE and this lady who owns SugarForce, can make some incredible cakes! So, needless to say Brian and I will make a special trip to SugarForce.

I need some support from my fellow readers...Brian believes that it would be "awesome" if all the groomsmen including himself grow mustaches for the wedding. I know he's not serious, but he could be? That is the awful part, I don't know! You never know with these boys what they will do.

Sugarland!

I have great news! Brian and I have floor seats to go see one of my favorite country music bands, Sugarland! I am so excited! We are going with some of our friends!! The first time I saw Sugarland was in Winchester at one of their local fairs and they were amazing then! I cannot wait!

Random thought of the day.

I don't normally post twice in one day, but I couldn't help but laugh at this random thought I had this evening. I asked Brian to pour me a glass of crystal light and he came back with maybe a sip to drink. He did this knowing he would have to go back in the kitchen and pour me some more, but I guess it was worth the laugh. Right? It made me think of the time when my mom asked my dad to get her a cup of water. So, sure enough he came out with a measuring cup of water. My mom asked why he put it in a measuring cup and his reply was, "you said you wanted a CUP of water, I just wanted to make sure you got what you wanted." That is such a typical guy thing to do.

Browines!

I have been sick for the past couple of days. I have been unable to taste anything that I eat. So, I thought to myself, there is no need to eat anything good because what's the point if you can't taste. Yesterday I was craving brownies. Brian insisted that I make some. Now if there is one thing that I MUST taste that would be the delicious, warm, chocolate chuck brownies that I make OH SO WELL. I came home for lunch today and have figured that my taste buds are back in gear and are dying, absolutely dying, for some brownies. So now I must head to the kitchen to make something AMAZING!



p.s. My Exam today went well. I didn't get my grade, but I'm sure I passed!

Promatx Gym

Well for those of you who did not know, I got a job and I started this past Monday. It was only supposed be part-time for the first three weeks, but I put in enough hours by Tuesday. This gym is running a weight loss program. The program is expanding so quickly, that they need me to get trained ASAP. I have a test tomorrow over the whole program. So, hopefully I will do well. They want to turn the whole weight management and Metabolism Re-Trainer part to me. I was able to counsel 7 members today. And it was so much fun! I feel like I did a pretty good job for the first time.

I will keep you updated!!!

It's Great to be Home!!

Brian and I have been back for almost a week now and it has been great. It has been nice to get back into our apartment and get things settled and arranged properly. We are very excited about this weekend. We are having our engagement party with close friends and family and then we will spend the rest of the week out at Lake Lewman with some of our friends. It should be a good time.

Update on my employment status, I go for a second interview tomorrow at a gym called Promatx Gym. I am applying for the Nutrition health coach, as well as, the personal Metabolism Retraining position. Fingers crossed!

I give up!

I can't cook unless it comes out of a box, frozen, or if it's pasta. Sometimes I get up the nerve to actually make something. Why I do this, I have no idea. I decided that I would make some guacamole. Abby, one of our friends in OKC, makes AMAZING guacamole. I got the recipe and it didn't look that hard. I went to the store this morning got all the ingredients did exactly what she said. I thought to myself...This is pretty easy. I went to taste it and it taste NOTHING like Abby's. OMG! SERIOUS? Brian told me to keep adding stuff and I did. Threw some salt in it. I give up!

Bath and Body Works

For those of you who know me best, know that I have an obsession with the store bath and body works. I love all the lovely fragrances! I probably have any where from 25-35 bottles of lotion/spray. Some of them I have multiples of because they are my favorite. Today I went into the store with only the intentions of looking and figuring out which fragrances I liked and did not have and which I did not like. I came across a sign that read "50 % off" and it just so happened to be one that I have had my eye on and was reluctant to purchase it in the past because Brian insist that I already have enough. Out of concern, I asked the worker why they were on sale. She went on to tell me that they are discontinuing this particular lotion. So, I bought two bottles and a spray. I had too!

The final week.

Yesterday was the first time all summer that it actually rained 75% of the day. Lord knows that we need the rain. I have continued my search for jobs, but still no luck. I got a call last week from 5/3 bank wanting to set up an interview for this week. Unfortunately, I could not make that interview because I'm still here in OKC. They wanted to finish all the interviews this week. Just my luck. So the search will continue.

I have been so thrilled about the Olympics. I feel like I have good reason to watch hours of T.V. I mean the Olympics are only on every four years. I dedicated this week to packing and getting things together for our trip back to Kentucky. What I did not realize is that it only took me thirty minutes to pack up all my clothes and belongings. I guess I got a little carried away, hoping that Saturday would come sooner.

Brian is finishing up his last week of work and preparing for his big presentation. Apparently there are going to be some important people sitting in on his presentation. I'm sure he will do great!

Our time here has been great and I'm so glad I made the trip down here with Brian...for more than one reason. HA HA! But I'm ready to head back to KY and get a real job.

Wedding bliss and a few other things

Well it has been a little over two weeks since Brian and I got engaged. We have been able to enjoy our engagement before all the serious planning begins; which starts probably as soon as we get back to Kentucky. I hope not to think about or worry about any of the planning until then. But, I know that will be difficult. There are just so many little things that you don't think of that needs to be done for a wedding. Thank god I have my family and friends that seem to have weddings under control. That is not to say that they will be making all the decisions, only guiding me through the process.
I decided to go to Davids Bridal today because it is right near our apartment. I walked in and stayed about five minutes before I decided to turn around and leave. First of all, I felt like an idiot going into a wedding shop by myself while all the other brides to be had their whole crew with them. Secondly, There were way to many dresses for me to go through. I was totally overwhelmed. I'm not one for shopping. When I go shopping it usually consist of my sisters/friends throwing things at me to try on and putting outfits together. I'm just awful at it. I have no patience for it. Now you take me into Bath and Body Works, I could stay there ALL day. I love that store! Internet shopping is the way to go!

Just a few things from my day:

1. It was 93 degrees today, which felt like 80. It was GREAT!

2. I am teaching a private lesson and she wants to continue until winter. I asked my boss if I could have her get a hold of her to figure out scheduling more private lessons. Her response was "No". So, my response was "well then, who does she get a hold of?" and she just shrugged her shoulders. Ok...she is the director that is her job. right?

3. The highlight of my day was having fresh homemade guacamole that Abby made for the "So you think you can dance" get together.

4. Still searching for a job. Anybody know somebody, who knows somebody, that can get me a job, just let me know.

5. I had a dream the other night where I was punching someone. I woke up to find that I had punched the wall. My engagement ring had turned around where the diamond was facing the side of my pinky finger and I guess I was squeezing my fist so hard and punching really hard that I broke the skin and it started bleeding. Not long after that brian woke up with a nose bleed. I hope I wasn't punching him. :)

Sweat

It seems that all I do here is sweat. I sometimes wonder why I don't "perspire" like most girls do, but rather sweat like an overweight 45 year old male. I walk out my door and it is guaranteed that I start sweating. It's awful. Today's high was 104, but I think it was a lot hotter than that. The car read 110 degrees this afternoon when I went to work. I don't know what's worse Oklahoma City's high temperatures or Kentucky's humidity.

Thank god that we pay a flat rate and we keep the thermostat between 62-65. For the next two weeks you can bet that I will be inside in the cool and avoiding the heat as much as possible.

Visit from the Sister

This weekend my sister Jen came to visit us here in OKC. We had a great weekend full of a lot of sweating, it was miserably hot, probably an average of 103. Our usual weekends here in Oklahoma have been fairly relaxing and uneventful but we did a number of things with Jen as our guest.
She flew in Friday afternoon, Amanda picked her up from the airport and they picked me up (getting lost on the way) and we went out for lunch. She and Amanda talked wedding while I was still at work. After work we took her up to Hafer Park and showed her where I proposed where she took a picture of us reenacting the proposal.
Did anyone else know there are mountains in Oklahoma? Well I didn't either. I had heard from a number of people since I have been out here that there are some mountains in Southwestern OK called the Wichita Mountains. I refused to believe it until I saw them with my own eyes. So yesterday we made a trip down there to visit them. We decided to get up fairly early and drive down there to get a start before it got too hot (it got up to 105). We took a fairly short hike up to the top of Elk Mountain which provided a good view of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Preserve. Open range conditions allow bison and longhorns all over the preserve. Since it was so hot, after the hike we ate lunch at a miniature picnic table and sat in the shade with a nice breeze and talked for a couple hours. On the way out of the preserve we stopped at the visitors center and drove up to the top of Mount Scott for another great view. Pictures from the visit can be found here.
Last night we went to Bricktown and ate at the Bricktown Brewery where Jen treated us to dinner to celebrate our engagement. We decided to get dessert at the Melting Pot but couldn't get a table until 9:45 so we ended up going to the Redhawks baseball game where we watched the last 5 innings of their game versus the Las Vegas 51's. Needless to say the Banana's Foster Chocolate fondue we had was amazing.
Today we made a visit to the Oklahoma City Memorial and Musuem which is dedicated to the 1995 bombing of the Federal Building. The memorial was very nice and the museum had a lot of interesting information.
We had a great weekend with Jen visiting us and are looking forward to coming back home to see all of our family.

Twins!?

I wanted to share this photo with you all that Brian took yesterday. We all know how much Lehne loves Brian's shoe collection, she couldn't help herself but to get a pair just like him. Brian has the male version and Lehne has the female version. I wonder what will be next...white shoes?

unemployment!

Well our time is narrowing down here in Oklahoma City. I have decided that I would start applying for jobs now. Thinking that MAYBE I could get an interview set up once I get home. So far I have applied for six jobs. Let's hope I hear from someone! I really don't care what I do at this point, just as long as it does not include wearing a bathing suit and being in the water for two hours a day! I have applied to US Bank, National Bank (two positions), another bank but I can't remember which one. Is that bad? I also applied for a position at HOST communication, as well as, the Health Department in Lexington. I will keep you updated on my unemployment status. Fingers crossed that I will hear something in the next couple of weeks.

Shoes?

For all of you who know Brian, you know his love for fashion. And not good fashion, I'm sure Brian would beg to differ. Before we came down to OKC Brian had me purchase a pair of white slip ons from Wal-Mart. Kyle, the bad influencer (I think I made this word up), was wearing a pair of these shoes. He insisted that he have a pair. Anyways, he could not wait to show Lehne his new shoes because he knew she would "love them". Of course when Lehne saw them she was disgusted just like any other normal person would be. All Brian could talk about were his white shoes. He wore them every where and he wore them with black dress socks. Now to me, it's just normal. I give him my look of disapproval and go on. It's just like the mullet. It's Brian and he's going to do it no matter what I think. It wasn't until one night that Lehne and I stayed up talking and Brian went on to bed that we noticed he had left his white shoes in the living room. We decided that we should hide them and see how long it would take him to figure out where they were. Since he loved them and all, we thought it wouldn't be that long. So, almost two months later...he figures out that he can't find them.

This proved a point for Lehne and I. And that point being that he was all talk. Obviously he did not love these shoes as much as he let on because if he had then he would have noticed them a long time ago.

This gives me great ideas for some other personal items of Brian's! I will keep you updated!

A few things.

I wanted to share a photo with you that I took today. It's not the best photo because I took it with my phone. Today was my last day of swim lessons. I enjoyed teaching swim lessons, but I'm glad they are over. Two straight hours of 3-5 year olds splashing, kicking, screaming and parents watching your every move is not always so much fun. The two in the picture are brother and sister, Isabella and Thomas. Isabella is 9 refused to be in the class that she was supposed to be in because a boy taught it. So, I took her into my class. I became very close to these two and I will really miss them! They are currently going through some difficult times and are being taken care of by their grandparents. There dad is still in the picture, but travels a lot for his job.

Also a few things about my life in Oklahoma:

1.Everyone fights for the few parking spots under the one tree.

2. We have a heat advisory until Saturday night. We have had 100 plus degree weather ALL week.

3. Since it's to hot to go outside, I have found another TV series to watch Weeds! It's great!

4. I just got my wedding book in the mail today.

5. Thank god for Netflix.

6. Brian and I started a training program that Greg developed for us. The first week went great, but Brian managed to get a massive blood blister on the inside of his arch and has had to take the week off. Hopefully next week we can get back on track!

Engagement Photos

There have been a number of requests to see a picture of the Amanda's ring. So I have uploaded an album containing pictures from the engagement, some of the ring, dinner last night at The Melting Pot, and some pictures of the Bed and Breakfast we stayed at last night. The album can be found here.
Oh yeah, diamond rings are not easy to take pictures of up close. I have still yet to get a good picture of it.

We're Engaged!!!

After 7 years and 4 months Brian finally decided to pop the big question. Let me just say it was perfect. We went to one of our favorite parks here in OKC and we started on a jog. I asked Brian to go a head and stretch before we ran, that way we wouldn't have to stop in the middle of our run. I hate stopping because it messes up my flow. He insisted on stretching during our run and I did my usual rolling of the eyes and we started off. We ran for 3 minutes and then Brian decided he need to "stretch". I thought it was early for him to already need to stretch, he usually waits till a mile or so into our run. I went with it and threw my leg up onto the bench and was stretching complaining about how my foot hurt. I noticed Brian was on one knee, but I didn't assume anything, I just figured he was in the process of laying all the way down. That was until he grabbed my hand and then I knew what was going on. I was in total shock. Was not expecting it to happen here, I figured he would wait until we got back home. I had to make him retell me what he said to me while he was proposing because it was all a blur. It seriously took at least 5 minutes for me to grasp what happened. Then the tears came pouring down! We stayed at the park for a couple hours calling everyone and letting them know the good news.

We are so excited and have waited for this day for a long time. We can't wait to share our special day with everyone! Let the planning begin!!! :)

Twilight

Ann sent me two books in the mail for me to read. When I first opened them I laughed because each book is about 500-600 pages long. And for those of you who know me, know that I'm not much of a reader and I try to stay away from books that big because I usually never finish them. I decided to give it shot and read. Now that I am over halfway finished with the book, in just two days which is great for me, I can't seem to put the book down. I love a good romance book with a thrill to it. I read all day yesterday even during dinner, which I some how manged to get hot sauce on the side of the book. Sorry Ann! :) I guess you shouldn't read and eat at the same time. Anyways, I will have to encourage Brian to write the next couple of blog posts seeing that I will be preoccupied for the next week and a half until I finish the two books.

Wrong Idea!!

After several text messages and phone calls I figured that I might need to clear things up about my recent blog post. I guess that blog would only make since for those who know all 3 of us...it was actually supposed to be funny. We all get along great! Although I'm positive Brian and Lehne get on each others nerves here and there. hahaha! And Brian loves to joke with Lehne and give her a hard time. And it's all in good fun!!!!!! We just thought the picture was funny. So, for those of you out there wondering Brian and I are best friends and still in a wonderful relationship...there is nothing to be worried about! We are all happy roommates! :) Hope that clears things up! Have a great day!

Best Friends?

This weekend Brian and I went to a water park. It was a lot of fun even without riding down the slides that looked like you could possibly die. Brian insisted that I ride these rides. People who are not afraid of heights do not understand the fear and anxiety that one feels when they are afraid. Anyways, I didn't ride it and I still had a good time.

Later Saturday night we went over to some friends house to hang out. I just wanted to share a picture that represents Brian and Lehne's relationship. I think you could classify them as best friends.

Questions that can't be answered

Let me just start off by telling a little bit about my childhood. I grew up in a big family. I have 3 sisters. Sissy (a.k.a. Kerry), Kim, and Abby (my twin). We are all very different and some say if we weren't sisters we probably wouldn't be friends. Maybe that's what makes us all so close. Growing up in a house full of girls had to be hell at times for my dad, especially once we all hit puberty. It probably was for my mom as well. I want to share a few of my favorites memories that will always stay with me.

Memory #1: Dad was always good about letting us paint his nails, comb his hair, put make-up on him..you know stuff little girls like to do. One day we had got him all fixed up. His blue eye shadow on, bright pink blush, and Red lipstick. I guess while we were styling his hair he fell asleep. Once we were finished fixing him all up we went on to doing something else. I don't know how long he had been asleep, but long enough to forget that we had got him ready for his glamour shots, when someone knocked on the door. Dad went outside to chat with the guy and came back in 20 minutes later. It wasn't until mom made it home and made a comment about his make-up that he remembered what we had been doing several hours before. He was totally embarrassed! hahaha!

Memory #2: We always dreaded when mom had to be out of town because that meant dad had to get us ready! We all three would hop into the bathtub, but not without a fight of who got front, and take our bath. We would then put on our clothes that we would be wearing the next day and get into bed. I mean heaven forbid dad have to get us dressed in the morning. The worst part was dad fixing our hair. Mom was a pro! Dad, on the other hand, was awful! Needless to say, we all would cry because he couldn't do it like mom.

Memory #3: With 5 girls in the house there was constant PMS. Dad came home one day with a Wal-Mart bag full of stuff. I'm sure he was proud of himself for actually purchasing these items. He pulled out a box of 50 tampons. We were all excited because we were constantly having to buy them. It wasn't until we realized what brand he bought. It was Kotex. I hated to be the one who told him, but it had to be done. "Ugh, Dad, we use Playtex Gentle Glide not Kotex". The typical male response "What's the difference?"..... From then on Playtex Gentle Glide was fully stocked in our bathroom.

My sisters and I are very lucky to have grown up in such a loving family. My parents made sure we had everything we needed and wanted. They sacrificed many things and worked extra hours to make sure we wouldn't go without. If I might say so myself, they did a great job raising 4 girls. Although we're not perfect (well, Abby claims she is prefect) and we've made mistakes, at the end of the day we know what really matters. It's not money and buying all the material things, it's love. It's having a family and friends to go to when you want to share your good news, or a shoulder to cry on. I couldn't imagine not having my parents. So many kids today are not being raised by their parents, but by a family member or someone they don't know. This is where my questions can't be answered. Why would a mother and/or father not want to take care of their child?

For the last 7 years my parents have raised my cousin Carmen, whom we claim as our sister. Her parents apparently had other priorities than raising her. My poor dad can't get a break, another girl! Ha! Carmen is so lucky to be raised by my parents! She is provided a loving family, a home, 4 awesome sisters, and she will be provided an education. But, she is now at the age where she has many questions. What do my parents say when she asks why her parents didn't love her? Or when she can't understand why she wasn't in Nana's belly? My parents have been faced with many questions and they give the best answer they can. It won't be until she is older that she can truly understand the whole situation. The meaning of "mom" and "dad" are not the same as they are for me. Her parents have missed everything. They know nothing about her. They don't know that she sleeps on my dads arm every night "because it makes her feel safe", or that she loves to do arts and crafts, or that she has 5 boyfriends at one time.

These questions will never be answered for me because I will never understand. I have two students that I teach swim lessons to, they are being raised by their "papa". Apparently, their parents just dropped them off and have walked out of their lives. I just want to say thank god for people like my parents and "papa" who take these children in and raise them as their own.

A cloudy day...

This might sound odd to some people, but I look forwarded to cloudy days in OKC. They rarely happen and when they do it usually means rain. It's nice to have a break from the 100 degree temperatures that OKC has every single day. I sweat from the moment I walk out the door. The sun is constantly beating down on you and giving me awkward sunburns. So, today it was cloudy. I was so excited. I went to work had a great day. The kids actually listened to me, for the most part, and one actually swam on her own. Another positive for cloudy weather is that Brian and I can actually run outside without dying from the heat. And with good always comes bad...I was driving home from work today when I went to switch lanes did my usual-- check the mirrors, turn my head back, and it was all clear...that was until I ran into the side of a brand new white Jaguar! We pulled out off the road into the McDonald's Parking lot. I thought to myself I don't care about my car, I just hope I did not hurt hers to bad. Then I realized that I was not in MY car (Chevy Cavalier) I was in Brian's Audi! I could care less about my car it's only worth about 800 dollars( if I'm lucky). So, at this point I realize I have damanged two really nice cars. I mean seriously I hit one of the nicest cars out there. The lady was very nice to me and we were both happy no one was hurt. She pulled out her Iphone calling several people and I had no clue what to do. So, I call my dad. What's he going to do? He's in KY! I thought I had to have my insurance because I was driving, not Brian's. I scrambled through the car till I finally found it. They decided to not get the police involved because it wasn't that big of an accident--for them it was not, but for me it was HUGE! I was holding back tears trying to keep calm and answer all the questions they had for me. Once we got that worked out I headed home. I'm pretty sure I cried for an hour straight.

I know these things happen, but it's always worse when you're in someone else's car and not your own. luckily everyone was very understanding and not to upset... I hope~! :)

Let the sun shine!!!! I don't care if it's ever cloudy again!

Dallas, Texas

Over the 4th of July weekend Brian and I headed to the Lone Star State. It was the first time I had ever been in Texas. We stayed with his aunt Marsha and uncle Gary. Brian and I were so excited when we found out that they had gone to the local Mexican store and bought some fajita meat (steak and chicken). Marsha insisted that Brian and I not be shy and eat all we want. And sure enough we both ate more than anyone else. Needless to say, it was Amazing! Being that it was the 4th, Gary went with us downtown to walk around and watch the fireworks. We took the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) light rail from near their house to downtown. With the increase in fuel prices, more people have finally started to use the public transportation, and if people of Big D can start using buses and trains, anybody can.
Saturday, we went to the 6th Floor Museum on Elm Street where JFK was shot. If you're ever in Dallas, this is a must! It was so interesting that it inspired Brian and I to watch the movie JFK again (Oliver Stone's conspiracy version). That took up most of our day. Once we got back to the Emery's, Gary took us on a driving tour of Dallas. Since the city is so spread out, driving is unfortunately the only way to view the whole city. We then ended the night going to one of their local favorite restaurants, which was Mexican! haha! Love it! We had a great time with Marsha, Gary, Anna, Eric, and Emma (the awesome dog)!

It's a small world after all!

I was in the mall today doing some shopping trying to find something to wear for my big meeting tomorrow. I was in Forever 21 trying on some clothes when I heard someone yell out "Amanda" once I walked out of the dressing room. I slowly turned around thinking to myself, who in the world could this be? Sure enough it was Denielle Morrison, a girl I went to high school with. What are the odds? She said she was talking to her friend and said that she thought she knew me and her friend did not believe her. Once she saw the back of my shirt, which read "Morehead State University" she knew it was me. We stood there and talked for a few minutes. She seems to be doing great! She has two kids, a boy and a girl, and she is still active in the Navy. She is getting transfered in the next couple months, so her time in OKC is coming to an end.

Next purchase, Turkey Fryer

Yesterday was a day of firsts for me, and it may have changed my life forever. One of my coworkers invited me to a cookout/pool party. The main course of food was turkey, and we fried it. Only one of the guys involved in frying the turkey had ever done it before, but it had been several years since he had, and he basically just watched other people do it. We measured to make sure we had the correct amount of oil, and set up the fryer in a safe area on the concrete driveway with a fireproof tarp underneath and two fire extinguishers nearby. Not only did we deep fry a turkey, we also made corn dogs, fried pickles, cheese, potatoes, onion rings, a few jalapenos and someone threw in a Klondike bar (it didn't work). Even though the frying was a big hit, there were tons of other foods prepared including; homemade guacamole, gazpacho, grilled corn, grilled pineapple, grilled peppers, and grilled pizza with asparagus, goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts. All of the food was great, but more importantly Amanda and I got to meet a lot of really nice people.

It's a rough life...

I can't believe we have been in Oklahoma City for a month. At the beginning, things seemed to be constantly changing and I was concerned whether or not everything would work out. I am working at a YMCA and started out lifeguarding, but I no longer lifeguard, I am a swim instructor. It amazes me that as a swim instructor I get almost a dollar more than if I lifeguarded. My working schedule is rough. I work Mondays-Thursdays 9:30am-11:45am. I know you're probably wondering how I make it through the day...where do I find time to workout, watch five episodes of LOST a day, and work on my tan. Well, I some how manage to fit it all in. For those of you wondering about my busy days here in OKC, let me give you an example of the crazy and hectic day of Amanda Alderman.

Brian's alarm clock goes off at 6:18 am and I know I have exactly 42 minutes to sleep before I have to get up and take him to work. I get Brian to work by 7:15 and I rush home just in time to make a bowl of cereal and catch the last two episodes of The Nannie on Lifetime. Then I take a nap and my alarm goes off with just enough time to make it to work by 9:30. I teach swim lessons for two straight hours and it's harder than most of you think. But, believe it or not, I actually have enjoyed it. I have a free membership so I make an attempt to workout there as much as possible. Once I make it home around 1:30 I find time to work on my tan and lie by the pool and people watch, it's rather fun. Once I've had enough of that I come inside to watch LOST. I am addicted. I'm already half way through season 3. It is not unusual for me to watch 5 episodes a day. I know that is crazy, but this has become my daily routine. By this time, it is time to pick Brian up from work. I slave over a hot stove and cook him dinner because I know he's had a long day at work. HA! NOT! I'm not much of a cook other than sweets. Our dinners consist of frozen dinners and pizzas!

Like I said, I have it rough and I'm not sure I can keep up this pace without wearing myself out. But I will keep on because someone has to do it!

After week 1

Amanda has made the last several posts so I figured it was my time to make a contribution. Yesterday I finished the first week of my internship at Chesapeake Energy. So far it has been a really good experience and I think I'm going to enjoy my summer. The first couple of days were pretty overwhelming being in a new environment and basically not having a clue what was going on. There is so much to learn as to what a geologist does, and how the whole industry works. I am working in the North Louisiana group and I really like everyone in it. My mentor is very smart and willing to teach me, and everyone else in the group has made me feel welcome and offered to help with anything. I have a project laid out for the summer that will definitely keep me busy and sounds very interesting. Chesapeake's "campus" is really amazing. They call it a campus because it is basically set up like a college campus. There is a stream running through it, brick buildings that look like something you would see on a small college campus, two restaurants (which are amazing), and a 40,000 sq. ft. workout facility with pool and basketball court. So far it has been a good experience and I imagine the rest of the summer will be as well.

Tornadoes...

This past Thursday I went to the Northside YMCA to meet my future boss and to get the rest of my paper work filled out. We discussed my trip to Utah and the experiences I had and how I liked Oklahoma thus far. I found that we had several things in common, which was very comforting. She plays on an outdoor soccer team and said that her team is always needing girl subs and I excitedly told her that I brought all my soccer gear! Once we finished chit chatting, she showed me around the Y. It was not what I expected, but it will do. Once we got to the pool I was shocked by how small of a pool it actually was. My first thought was, "wow, this will be easy". She went on to tell me that the reason the pool is not open today was because of the last tornado that hit, blew the roof off. I thought I would die right there! It had taken them over a week to fix and repair the roof. As most of you know, I am terrified of tornadoes and Oklahoma loves them. I have yet to experience a tornado or a strong severe storm, but I'm sure my time is coming. And don't worry I will blog my whole experience.

I caught the bouquet!

Ben and Jen's wedding was a blast and all the festivities leading up to the wedding was as well. All of Brian's family, mostly the Scott side, stayed at the "compound". The house was amazing and huge! Apparently, whenever something important happens for Jennifer it rains. It rained for all her graduations and they were forced to be inside. So Ed just knew it would rain because, "it's Jennifer, it always rains". Fortunately for her it did not rain and the sun actually came out during the ceremony. Greg officiated the ceremony and did a great job, this might be his new calling. The Reception was a blast, I think everyone busted a move at some point in the night. But most importantly, I caught the bouquet!!!!!!! I waited all night and prepared myself to get in my block out position to catch the bouquet. Well, the reception went on and on and it got later and later. In my head this was a great game plan for me because people had left and the majority of people left were already married and/or drunk. So, my chances of catching were pretty high! She never threw it! I was so disappointed. We took the shuttle to the hotel where Ann picked us up. While waiting for Ann, Jen and Ben came into the hotel and were hanging out with us in the lobby. I asked her about the bouquet and she said she had forgot about it and when she remembered it was too late. I told her she could just toss it to me. And that is what we did! So, I caught the bouquet! I was so excited! What a great way to end the week!