Trying something new...

How do you like the new & improved blog? What about the colors? I figured it's time to let the fall in my life and into my blog! I just love BROWNS, it really is one of my favorite colors, you know! Let me know what you think....is it ME?

UPDATES

So, many of you will probably wonder where the heck I've been. I've been everywhere except in the world of blogging. Life has been crazy, so to sum it all up:

1. I've been sicker than SICK! Yesterday I finally went to the Doc and he gave me an injection of cortisone. My arm hurt like no other, but I finally had a decent night of rest. Thanks, Dr. Bynum for helping me on my way to recovery!

2. Steve & I went to a crazy lil Halloween Party on Friday evening, and the food was crazy. I ate the green "iris" rings off of the cupcakes that were supposed to be strange eyeballs. They were good, they were those "apple gummy rings"...yummy! The horrible thing is that we left early due to a prankster who thought it was all too funny to crank up the fog machine on extra thick and keep it going after asking him to "simmer down now"...obviously, he thought I wasn't serious. So, whoever you were in the SCREAM mask...thanks for making my sickness go back into recession and keep me from going to church on Sunday...I blame only YOU!

3. Steve's sister, Emily had a really cool baby shower last weekend, the weekend of silence for me. Her sisters put it all together and I put on my happy face even though I felt like I needed to be at home, in my own comfy bed, having everyone feel sorry for me. But it wasn't my place to be selfish. It is Emily's first baby, and she is so excited that I really wanted to be there. As bad as I felt, I wouldn't have missed it for the world! Great food, fun company, and she was lookin like a hottie.

4. Car trouble. Steven's car has had this rattling sound for quite some time. And although I told him months ago to have it checked out, men never listen to women (and it sure doesn't change after marriage, either). ....(sorry, Steven...I still love you)... So, he finally had it looked at, and due to both of our dismay, it has been parked in various parking lots and side streets since then, waiting for different estimates and appraisals. It seems that he needs a new engine, and it will end up costing several thousand dollars...yippee! Just what every newlywed dreams of, right? We certainly didn't. The good part is that I had the chance on Saturday to go car shopping, and looked at several deals around town. If your interested in the Ford Focus, they are a great deal. Although it's a car I would never picture myself owning (not even in my dreams), $10,000 for a new vehicle with a warranty isn't too shabby...I had to at least test drive it to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

5. Cheerleading madness. So, practices start next week. Emails are coming in from everywhere....I have to order warm-ups soon, I have to make schedules, I have to plan and organize a pep assembly, I have to make all these decisions and I am definitely NOT prepared for this. So, wish me good luck....

6. Primary Program. It is next Sunday. When I got this calling, it was like a ton of bricks hitting me all at once. And this is my responsibility...to write the script, arrange some sort of seating chart, and put together the order of everything! Thank goodness for Steven and his ability to write...he helped me a ton! I've missed the first practice (due to my sickness from the fog machine) and I feel horrid. The second and final practice is this Sunday and I will miss it because of my cousin's wedding. UUGGGHHH!!! I spent so much time writing it and worrying about every detail, and I won't even see it until it is performed on Sunday, the 11th.

So, that's my last 2 weeks in a lengthy blog entry. How's the past weeks been for you? I hope better than mine! Happy trick-o-treating, and have a great week!

SILENCE

Have you ever tried being silent for an entire day? Well, try being FORCED to be silent! It's not so fun, especially when you LOVE to talk!

I started getting sick on Tuesday, and it's slowly gotten worse. Yesterday, during my 7th hour class, I went completely silent. I mean, I opened up my mouth and all that came out was a lout squeak! Ya, the kids had a good time w/ a "teacher who can't speak"...but not me! I could get a little out yesterday, but woke up this morning w/o even a squeak or squawk! It's really bad!

Good thing today I don't have any classes to teach...it's an entire day devoted to planning! YIPPEE! Those are always nice to have, especially when you get paid for it! And without a voice, I can actually get things accomplished b/c I'm not tempted to go next door to my colleague's trailer and chat about life and get the latest gossip!

So voice...CHAITO for now...but I miss you a little bit...could you come back soon? Steve misses you, too (Not...I'm sure ALL husbands wish this upon their wife every now and then). So everyone...enjoy it while it lasts. 'Cuz when it comes back, there is no stopping my voice from reaching wherever it wants to go!

Check out my Slide Show!

This is my amazing sister-in-law, Emily, and her hubby, Joe. They are so much fun and have so many talents! Last night, Steven & I went to his parent's house for a small bonfire. We grilled out hamburgers, had some AMAZING chips & dip (that was a day old, so the avocados weren't so fresh, but still quite tasty), and some campfire pies...right in their backyard! What a wonderful and warm family I have married into!

One of the highlights was receiving a CD and book with all of Steve & my wedding photos in it. The book is absolutely amazing!!! Emily included every photo she took of us, and she used her great artistic talents to make it look amazing! This is a book that we will treasure forever, and is something that is unique. I love it so much! Bad news...we had to PROMISE not to print copies at Wal-Mart. Everyone knows how much I love that place, and how convenient it is to make one stop and get anything & everything you could ever need. Oh well, her professional pics deserve to be printed in a professional place anyway. I guess I can take a few extra minutes and a few extra pennies to capture the true colors and excitement of such a wonderful day that I'll treasure forever!

So, here are a few more pics, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Emily, thanks again...you are so amazing!

Brooks fans line up at Sprint Center

http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/302813.html

You have got to check it out! Not only did I attend the Garth Brooks concert in 1997 (or was it 1998), but it was the same ordeal...selling wristbands to random people. If you want a ticket, you have to get a wristband and wait in-line to get one. It's a crazy thing to do, but Garth (or is it Chris Gains, now) is worth it....NOT! Well, I have to admit...I did it when I was in high school. I LOVED me some Garthy-poo. But now, I could care less. He is old, and just not my style anymore. Garth, you're still in my heart and in my diary from years ago (yep...there's a story there). So, Garth...this year, you'll have to Rock On without me!

ABC's of Moles

A few of you are aware that my friend, Mr. Mole, that has been with me my entire life, will die tomorrow at 9am sharp. Yes, it is time that I put him out of his misery, and start putting myeslf into a bit of pain. I have wanted to have him removed from my left arm for several years now...I just never had the guts to go through with it...until now.

I HATE needles, and my family thinks it quite hilarious that I am going in tomorrow, with Steven sitting in the waiting room, to have it removed. All the discomfort, pain, and yes...even several panic attacks await me in the next 24 hours (minimum, I'm sure!).

I don't think I have much to worry about, though. I did a presentation of moles a few years ago and found it very interesting what a person should be aware of when it comes to moles, and that everyone needs to monitor their moles, especially when considering the possibility of cancer.

So, let me share with you my findings. Here are the ABC's of cancer. This is what you NEED to be aware of:

Asymmetry: Asymmetry can be assessed by comparing one half of the growth to the other half to determine if the halves are equal in size. Unequal or asymmetric moles are suspicious.

Border: If the mole's border is irregular, notched, scalloped, or indistinct, it is more likely to be cancerous (or precancerous) and is thus suspicious.

Color: Variation of color (e.g., more than one color or shade) within a mole is a suspicious finding. Different shades of browns, blues, reds, whites, and blacks are all concerning.

Diameter: Any mole that has a diameter larger than a pencil's eraser in size (> 6 mm) should be considered suspicious.

So...after reading my blog...go to a mirror close by, and have a good look at yourself. If you see something suspicious (and no, I'm not refering to your zits or your hair)...maybe you should consider saying "goodbye" along with me.

TTFN...ta ta for now!

Enjoying a few wedding pics

These are all conpliments of Steven's sister, Emily.

Don't they look good?