D-Day aka Dress Shopping

Today some of the most wonderful people in my life shared a once in a life time experience with me. I tried on my first wedding dress ever! We started the day at David's Bridal, where Danielle, Carrie, Rachel, Penny (mom's best friend), and my mom sorted through dresses for me. Rachel assisted me in the dressing room when trying on dresses. We had our share of laughs and now Rachel is an experienced consultant. Twelve dresses later I was down to two that I really liked, but wasn't 100% sure on. One had flowers all over the skirt and the other was a trumpet with lace and beading. Both beautiful, but I wasn't in LOVE. Two hours later we left the store in search of food and then on to the second appointment, Mia's.

At Mia's, my consultant was a lady from Great Bend that had known our family from St. Pat's. Right off the bat the appointment was on a great start. I chose five dresses to try on and the wonderful women with me picked one off a manniquin that they liked. The first dress was beautiful, but it wasn't it. The second I really really liked, but it was fancier than I wanted. The third was AMAZING! I loved the dress. It was lace and sequince and a trumpet. The dress hugged me in every right place and I had almost finished the appointment at that moment, but I had three more dresses to go. The fourth I didn't try on and the fifth didn't compare to the third. Then there was the sixth. This dress had everything. Every little detail that I had liked from so many dresses that I tried on was on this one dress. Once the veil was on it was a done deal, I had my dress!!

Our wedding seems so far away, so it never seems quite real. Today, today was the first time that I felt like I was actually getting married. I have a dress that will make Josh ooh and awe, I have a fiance that loves me unconditionally, and I have people that will always stand beside me. I am the luckiest girl in the world!!

Aloha

Two weeks ago Josh and I spent five wonderful days in Maui. My best friend from childhood, Sarah Younkin, married her college sweetheart! We had a wonderful time exploring the island, celebrating an amazing couple, and relaxing.

After a ten hour flight Josh and I relaxed at in our condo for a few hours. Sarah was able to meet us for dinner and a drink at Moose Mcgillicuddy's Pub. We were super tired and had to get up early for a kayaking and snorkeling tour. After waking up at 6:30 we found out that our excursion was cancelled due to giant waves. So we traveled the west side of the island, went to an aquarium, and spent some time at the beach. After a relaxing morning we thought an afternoon at the beach would be splendid. We thought wrong. The waves tackled us repeatedly and stole a pair of sunglasses.

The next morning we woke up at 3am to see a sunrise that is the most beautiful sunrise in the world! We traveled the winding roads of Haleakala State Park to end up on the top of a 10,000 foot volcano. The temperature was freezing, but seeing the sunrise above the clouds was an experience we will never forget. After a delicious breakfast we traveled the Road to Hana. This is a 52 mile road that follows the eastern coastline of Maui. This drive consisted of several one lane bridges and sharp turns. After traveling only 17 miles we had to turn around to get back in time for the rehersal dinner.

Saturday and Sunday we celebrated a beautiful wedding and two wonderful families come together. Sunday morning we were lucky enough to go kayaking/snorkeling. This was by far the most amazing snorkeling I have ever seen. We swam through schools of fish and saw turtles bigger than us!

This is a trip we will never forget and we have to thank Sarah and Jeff for giving us the opportunity. They helped us more than we could have imagined and celebrated a love that will never expire. We love you and Congrats!!

Ten-Six-Twelve

It's official Josh and I are getting married on Oct. 6, 2012! This last month has been a whirlwind of planning. We've met with our priest, booked a reception site, lined up a photographer, and made an appointment to taste some food. We even passed our FOCUS test, which is a test given by the church to see how much we have discussed and how compatable we are. The priest said not many people pass without having to talk to the priest more, but we did!!

We are staying in Topeka for the wedding. We will be getting married at St. Matthew's Parish and the reception will be held at Heritage Hall. Josh and I decided that since our home is in Topeka and we are both members of the church that we would stay here to celebrate our wedding. We still have a lot to do, but we are excited to get things rolling!

Exciting News

On Friday September 9th, 2011 Josh and I were headed to Garden City, KS to watch his youngest brother play football. Here is a little insight to Josh's family. He has three younger brothers and one sister. All of the brothers have worn the number 24 in football and each has seen success with that number. Over the last 10 years or so the jerseys have change but the name associated with the number on the jersey has stayed the same. Well, this is the last year that the Lamb name will represent number 24. So, it is a big deal that we make it to every game we can to watch Zach carry on the famous 24. Well, back to my story about Friday night. Josh and I were somewhere around Salina when I started to complain about not making it to the game on time. I thought we were going to miss the game entirely and had become super frustrated. Josh, the level headed one in the relationship, placed a box in my lap and ask me to open it. I became extremely nervous, started to ask questions, and demanded answers. Turned out the poor guy just wanted to PROPOSE!! Can you believe it? He asked me if I'd marry him and I of course said YES, with that we were engaged!!

Gettin Busy

I know it's been a while since I've written anything on here at all, but so much has happened. School started and we were running from the start. This new group of kids have a lot more personality than the last group and they definitely know how to dish it out. I can tell that I'm going to need a "cool down" of my own on a regular basis. So far I haven't been able to locate my "cool down" spot, but I'm sure it will envolve some type of exercise or a glass of wine. I have also started my first semester of grad school! I was so excited to start and now I'm so excited for this semester to be over. I've learned so many new things, that it's hard to keep everything straight. As always I'm loving the challenge.

Josh has had some good news at work! He will hopefully have a new route at the end of September, due to his hard work and lack of complaining!! We are both excited to know that hard work still pays off, you don't always have to kiss ass to move up the ladder at work.

Deacon is the proud owner of a new fence! In August, my parents came to Topeka and we (meaning dad and Josh) built a brand new privacy fence for the dogs! I love walking up to the house with the smell of cedar lingering behind. Of course the fence building was not easy. We were lucky enough to find some more bricks and gigantic roots from the numerous trees in our backyard. What should have taken a day to build took 2.5, but it's beautiful. If you're ever bored you should come see it and breathe in the nice cedar smell!!

Summer Wrap Up

It is sad to say but the summer is coming to an end. I start teaching on the 16th and grad school starts the 22nd. I am excited to get back into my old routine of school, kids, sack lunches, and home work.

As it has been the last three summers we had another one that past us by with a blink of an eye. Over the summer we watched it rain for a whole month, then suffered through the heat and humidity for months, played softball, went to a wedding, traveled a little, had a bbq, saw some fireworks, played more softball, participated in some Sunday Fundays, took Deacon on several walks/runs, and worked.

We are looking forward to the fall for the Garden City football games, cooler weather, a new niece and nephew, yard work, weddings, and our trip to Maui. And then maybe, just maybe things will slow down a little.

Seeing Double

An update on Josh's sister, Kelley. Yesterday afternoon Josh received a call from his sister, we both figured it had something to do with the bun in the oven. We thought she was calling to tell us the sex of this little bun and instead we started seeing double. That's right Kelley is having twins!! We couldn't believe, I think I'm still in shock over the news. The doctor thinks that one is a boy and the other is a girl, but isn't 100% sure because they were moving around too much. The doctor did say that the twins aren't fraternal and he moved her due date up a few weeks!! I'm hoping so goes into labor over Thanksgiving weekend when everyone's home. I'm really excited for the expecting couple and cannot wait to start buying double the baby stuff. Look out craft stores, Target, Baby's r Us, and Walmart the shopping must begin!

Happy One Year!!

Yesterday Josh and I celebrated living in our home (Anne) for one whole year! Before I go on I will explain the name thing. People name cars, boats, and various other things so I thought why not name our home. I know it's weird and people definitly look at me strange, but I wanted to so I did. I named our house Anne, because it is a classic name as is our home. The house is painted green and white like Queen Anne's Lace, it is an airplane bungalow, and it was built 100 years ago. Those three descriptions brought me to the name Anne. Love it or hate it if you want, I think it's fabulous!

We moved in on June 26th, 2010 and have been busy ever since. In our first year as homeowners we have tackled ants, tilled and planted grass, dug up 200+ bricks, cut down eight trees, redone bathroom walls, installed ceiling fans, hung trim in the dining room, installed a dishwasher, added more cabinets to the kitchen, survived a hail storm, fixed a thermostat, painted four rooms, hung blinds (kind of), and put up a porch swing. I'm sure there are several smaller things we have done, but I can't remember. Our first year was extremely hectic and I'm sure this next year will be too. We plan to replant the backyard, put up a fence, get a new roof, pour concrete around parts of the house, and maybe do some work on the garage. We love being home owners, even when things don't workout so well, but what we love even more is doing these things together and making memories. Here's to another year with Anne.

Dolly

From the previous post I mentioned a puppy named Dolly, now she is not our dog but we play a large role in her well being. I'm happy to report that she is making a dramatic come back. The vet Josh and I took her to wanted us to put her down immediatly, which wasn't an option. Her owners, John and Laura, took Dolly to their vet who predicted she could beat the small case of pravo that she had. After being fed pedia-lite, peto-bismal, several IV fluids, and a few treats given by yours truly she is a playful pup once again!

A Weekend of Lessons

What we thought was going to be a fairly uneventful weekend turned into an adventure in a matter of minutes. Friday started out with a trip to Junction City to see my amazing cousin and her beautiful family. We had dinner and then watch Isiah play T-ball, one of the cutest things I have ever seen. After dinner we were headed to Great Bend for the Billinger family reunion! On our way we watch a spectacular lightening show, I tried to record it on our phones but the lighting sucked. Saturday was a day of family, most of the Billinger clan showed up creating a loud high engergy filled event. My aunts and cousins came up with "party" names for everyone, so you are now meeting Jimmi and Angie for the first time! I also won a 102 year old stained glass window in the silent auction that was from a church in St. Peter, Kansas . I'm not sure where I'm going to put it yet, but it's beautiful. My great grandparents donated the land and help build the church so the town was renamed St. Peter after my great grandpa Peter Rome.

Sunday was a day for relaxation, until we made the trip back to Topeka. The drive as always was very uneventful, it wasn't until we reached or house that things went sour. The little puppy, Dolly, that has been staying with us is terribly sick. Over the weekend she shrank in size and refused to eat or drink anything. At 10pm I told Josh we were taking her to the Vet, which didn't end well. The vet was not nice and to sum up the evening I left in tears holding a 4 month old puppy. Needless to say she's skinnier and still isn't eating, she has drank a little bit of water but that's it.

So, to recap our weekend we were able to create memories with family, get closer to our family, relax, and care for a dog that we don't own like she was ours. It's just a reminder of how every day we need to keep focused on the important things in life, making sure to let go of all negativity. There's too much out there that we miss if our priorities are not straight. As for Dolly she's taught me how short life can be so short and that I am a giant sap when it comes to animals. Please remember to live life to it's fullest and pray for Dolly's recovery.

Obsessed

I have a new obsession and it has nothing to do with Josh! My friend introduced me to pinterest. It is a website full of weird, random, wonderful things. I get on was a day and have a hard time getting anything done. I can log into my page and just dream. Make wishes for places I want to go, the way our house will look someday, food that looks to good to eat, and then I pin them ALL!! It's an addiction I swear, but I feel it's a somewhat healthy addiction that everyone should enjoy. So please check out this website and become an obsessed fan with me.

The Most Amazing Sound

So, last night as I'm painting the porch swing a vibrant shade of blue Josh comes out and wants me to listen to a text message from his sister. Lo and behold the most amazing sound comes from that one single text, it's a baby's heart beat!! Kelley, Josh's baby sister, is at the end of her first trimester. She found out she was pregnant around Easter, which is a beautiful time of year. At first we weren't sure what to think, but now none of us can wait to see that beautiful face. Kelley is due December 5th, and you can bet we will be making a drive to Garden City to see the new Lamb addition!

War against Sugar Ants

We have waged war with these fun little bugs called Sugar Ants. They have invaded our house before and we beat them with some creative tactics. This year the ants have come full force and those little tactics aren't working. Over the weekend we had put some fertilizer and spray around the house, in the house, and all over the yard. At this point we have one a battle of the Second War against Ants. Things we have learned 1)Ants don't like cinnamon, salt, or talcum powder 2)They find any way possible to get inside your house 3)If you roll them into little balls they die and 4)Ants can simply drive you so crazy that you will want to rip your hair. One adventure down and hundreds to begin!

Our first Home

After searching all over Topeka, and I mean all over, we finally decided on a house that has some personality. Our house, nicknamed Anne for her shape and colors that remind me of Queen Anne's Lace, was built in 1911. She has beautiful wood floors, high ceilings, and several quirks. We have done some work throughout the year, but the major feat for 2011 is the backyard.