office update (part 1)

This weekend my parents came up to our neck of the woods and we had a guh-reat time as usual. I absolutely love it when they come up. And so does miss Piper. She adores her grandparents.

Piper & Grandpa Aka "Farty" (You will only understand if you've seen Parental Guidance)

We spent the weekend finishing up my little 8 x 8 office in the basement. My little space where grading papers will be bearable. It's crazy how it started out as a concrete playroom. I am so over the moon on how it is coming along. Thank you so much to my dad and husband for their handy work and hours they poured into my room. And thank you mom for keeping me company and being the very best.

Cracks me up. Action shot after being licked by the Miss. 

Here are some of the before pictures taken by Mr. Husband. It's hard to get a good picture when there is only a couple feet to stand back. What can ya do?

And here are some pictures after the sheetrock was installed, all the plug-ins and cable done, new wood floors, freshly primed and painted, new trim, and my glorious new light. I flipping love that light. Nice work mamacita.

Color: Behr Gentle Rain. Looks a little different and way better in person. Darn picture.

Now all I need to do is gather some decorations for inside, get a desk, and call it a day. I found a desk I wanted soooo bad at world market but of course they are discontinuing the desk and the only people who have it are in South Carolina. Road trip?

The desk I reaaaaally want.

So anyway, I am on the lookout for a white desk that is big enough to fit the mac and room for all of my stacks of papers I will most likely be grading in there. I found one at overstock and am thinking about getting it but still on the search for desk victory. Holler at me for your awesome desk finds :)

I cannot wait to see it come together and get my motivation and inspiration on in there. It may be a little 8 x 8 room, but I love love love everything about it and can't wait to put it to use.

I hope you all had a great weekend. They just seem to go way too fast. Way too fast I tell ya.

Livin' for the weekend

A weekend at home is just what my little brain and body needed.

Not only did I get to spend time with some of the coolest people on the planet,

but I got to see my little brother go to his big jr.prom.

Who said they could grow up?

Wasn't me.

Look at the handsome feller though.

Must be related.

;)

I spent Friday hanging out with the crew

and doing absolutely nothing but relaxing.

Heaven. Perfection.

Something about being home just makes me slow down for a second, take a step back, and really just enjoy flipping life.

Spend time with the people I love the most.

Do nothing but enjoy each other's company.

Yup. I love it. Can I go back?

School won't mind.

Saturday I spend my day with my momma and her friend

getting a few things ready for someone's wedding shower.

It got me a little excited for whenever mine is to come.

Plus,

can you imagine all the cool awesome rad kitchen supplies you get

when you get married?

I will have every gizmo and gadget invented.

Only kidding.

Kind of.

But really, there is some bad ace stuff out there.

Bed, Bath, and Beyond better watch out

for my scanner.

=)

Then came church and prom walk-in.

I got to see my high school since it's been redone.

And WOWZERS. So that is why our school was under

construction the whole entire time I was in high school.

Glad SOMEBODY got a good looking school.

Then came PROJECT PROM.

Only the best part of prom.

The students get to play games, get prizes, and eat

until 4:00 a.m.

It's suppose to keep them out of trouble.

Because you know high school kids, all they

are is t.r.o.u.b.l.e.

Not me though, I was perfect.

Right, mom?

I was the designated prize girl/wonder around and pretend

like I'm in high school and play the games too girl.

Yup, I worked real hard.

I worked so hard I got a prize!

Okay, so maybe it was just the prize my brother won and there was nothing left to pick from so he got me this cute little peace bag.

Thanks brother, I owe you!

(Not $30 tho.)

Maybe gardettos and pepsi.

Even though by the end I was struggling hard core,

it was fun to spend the evening with my mom, dad, friend, and brother.

Brother isn't gonna be in high school forever!

Which makes me sad.

Waaah.

Please don't get old.

Now I am back to reality and ready to

kick this next months booty

and

GRADUATE.

Oh man, that will be a good day.

HAPPY MONDAY!

now go hug someone.

Monday's seem to be rough on people.

Actually will this make you smile?

Because it sure makes me smile.

(sorry mom and dad)

 

That is one reason why I love my mom and dad so stinking much.

XOXO



Home

So I was watching the Country Music Awards last night.
(Taylor Swift Entertainer of the Year? Seriously? Not happy.)
Big surprise, I know.
And something just wapped me in the head.
I started thinking.
As I do so very vey well.

There is really nothing like home.
The feel of home.

Where you were born and raised.

Where you had your first kiss, and your first date.

Where you stayed out late many of nights and had one too many.

That place that makes your soul smile.

Home.

Country makes me feel relaxed.
 It reminds me of how I grew up. Where I was raised.
 The respect, love, and meaning that went into each sweat, tear, and smile.
This Miranda Lambert song gets me.
Home always cures when I'm feeling sad or lonely.
It just cures everything.
My heart is smiling just thinking about it.

I know they say you cant go home again.
I just had to come back one last time.
Ma'am I know you don't know me from Adam.
But these handprints on the front steps are mine.
And up those stairs, in that little back bedroom
is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar.
And I bet you didn't know under that live oak
my favorite dog is buried in the yard.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself
if I could just come in I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.

Mama cut out pictures of houses for years.
From 'Better Homes and Garden' magazines.
Plans were drawn, concrete poured,
and nail by nail and board by board
Daddy gave life to mama's dream.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself.
If I could just come in I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.

You leave home, you move on and you do the best you can.
I got lost in this whole world and forgot who I am.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself.
If I could walk around I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.

There is just something about it that makes me....me.

Right when I hit those city limits I feel a since of relief.

I am home.

I am in my comfort zone.

I am where I belong.
Most times when I visit my hometown I go by the house I grew up in.
I exam the bent basketball goal on the garage where we played basketball for hours.
Where we spray painted our own lines to make sure it felt like a real game.
The front porch my dad worked so hard on.
The front yard where my mom planted flowers thorn bushes use to lay and get stuck in my feet.
The neighbors house where I found friendships.
The lot across the street where we would play football and baseball.
The street we sold lemonade in.
The parking lot I tried to stop my go cart with my foot in.
Which I would not advise. BTW.
The tree my brother and I made our fort and kept secrets.
You can't take those memories away.
Those are the things in life that are important.
Those are the things in life that make us who we are.

The loving people we surround ourselves with and the memories made along the way.

I may be different than most people.

If I could I'd live live next door to my parents for life.
I want to live in a small town where people are raised with respect.
I want to have a backyard that is filled with water of a lake or pond.
I want to let God's nature surround my life with peace.
I cannot wipe a smile off my face when I am in the middle of no where listening to country music with people I love.
 I enjoy seeing kids running in the streets. Riding bikes. Playing hide-n-seek.
I just enjoy the simple life.
The simple things in life.

That are pure joy to me.

I love home.

I miss home.

(And YES, these are all pictures from home. They are from my high school years. I was going to do younger but my hair was a little wack back in the day. Sorry.)

What do you love about home?

What's your favorite kind of music?
Did you watch the Academy of Country Music Awards last night?
I am so bummed Jason Aldean didn't get Entertainer of the Year :(
Taylor Swift is so.......yesterday.

The Most Important Kind of Love

I thought this post was appropriate the day

after I came back from home.

Being at home reminds me of why love is important, how strong

it can be, and that it conquers all.

My parents have shown me that true love lasts.

True love can defeat all things.

True love never fails.

They are the happiest couple I have ever seen in my life.

So thank you mom and dad for showing me what love is all about.

"No one ever said it was easy, they just said it'd be worth it."

I got this in an e-mail about three years ago and it really hit home with me.

True love is when then the small things matter the most.

Check this out.

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, 'What does love mean?'

The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.
See what you think: .........

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'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.'

Rebecca- age 8

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'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.'

Billy - age 4

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'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.'

Karl - age 5

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'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.'

Chrissy - age 6

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'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.'

Terri - age 4

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'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.'

Danny - age 7

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'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more.
My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss'

Emily - age 8

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'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.'

Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

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'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,'

Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

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'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.'

Noelle - age 7

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'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.'

Tommy - age 6

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'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.

He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.'

Cindy - age 8

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'My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.'

Clare - age 6

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'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.'

Elaine-age 5

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'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.'

Chris - age 7

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'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.'

Mary Ann - age 4

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'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.'

Lauren - age 4

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'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (what an image)

Karen - age 7

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'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.'

Mark - age 6

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'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.'

Jessica - age 8

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And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.

The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,

'Nothing, I just helped him cry'

                                    For some reason, this just hits my heart right where it hurts.

                                                                 Happy Monday.

                                                                  LOVE today.

Home Sweet Home

A weekend at home,

what could be better?

Well I could think of maybe a couple things,
but only if my familia joins the party.

Hold on while I day dream of beaches,

mountains, sunshine, palm trees,
 and anywhere else that reminds me of paradise.

I don't wanna wake up.

Anyway.

The weather was BEAUTIFUL.

So pretty that I just wanted to run

around singing "Spring is in the aiiiiiir".

Ahhhhhhh, sunshine. I love you.

Weekends at home are always so relaxing.

Ya know, there is just nothing like home.

No matter where your home is.

Home is HOME.

It makes you feel safe.

It just makes me smile.

It makes me not care if I am wearing sweat pants
 with a grease stain on them.
Not that  I would do that or anything.

Today we woke up to a perfect warm day.

I wish I could put that sunshine in my little pocket.

We enjoyed a nice walk around town and

were in search for the leprechauns in the St. Patrick's Day parade.

First we thought it was at 11, then 1, then not at all, and finally figured out it was a 2.

We were bound determined to find that dang parade.

Well, my mom was at least. :)

I would have pictures but uh...it was around 8 minutes long.

We do it big in small towns baby!
Speaking of small towns.
I love them.
I love the fact that I can walk into any store,
walk down any street, go to any restaurant, and I would know a friendly face.
I love feeling at home. I love how friendly people are, and I love that
they care about each other and their well being.
After the parade I guess I felt like burning a whole in my pocket.
(Probably shouldn't have after the 108 buckeroo speeding ticket I got
yesterday. Ya...about that)

I came back with these bad boys.

HOLLA!

The day only got better with some porch swining, grilling (I watched),

sitting outside, watching the Jayhawks, and doing a little "Just Dance".
My dad made some bad ace pheasant wraps.
Really.
They are the most delicious treat on the grill.
They were marinated in Italian dressing and wrapped in
bacon with jalapenos in the middle.
mmmmmm. Come to Mama.
He is the king of the grill.
He is currently taking autographs in case you were wondering.
My dad and his wraps are thebomb.com

Most importantly we got to witness...
Are you ready?
Are you sure?
Do you wanna know?
Am I getting annoying now?
Okay..we got to witess KU winning the BIG XII CHAMPIONSHIP!
(I know I know this may not be a big deal to all)
Whoot Whoot!
That is what I'm talkin' about folks!
Cheers to the Hawks and their sweet bball skills and slammin dunks.
In YO face Texas(s).
The weekend continues to be a success because most
importantly...I'm with people I love very very much.
I just wish Jeff was here.
Minnesota please give me my boy back :)

Those are number on fingers + game faces. Btw.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Saturday!
Don't let a day go to waste.
Life is so so very precious.

So just dance.
XOXO