Misty Water-Colored Meeeemories, Of The Way We Were. Scattered PIC-tures..

A bit of the "small print" before we begin...

WARNING: This post might end up being uber cheesy. We're talking, end of Pretty Woman cheesy (saw it on tv the other day and forgot how cheesy it really was).

SIDENOTE: The title of this post is a shout-out to one of the greatest movies ever, Big. I am not, nor have I ever been, a Barbra Streisand fan. See, I don't even know if I spelled her name correctly. Anywho, moving on...

The last two weeks in April are a pretty big deal for Michael and myself. I guess I should start at the beginning, which would be three years ago TODAY (Happy Earth Day, by the way). Anyone who reads this post knows the story so I'm not going to get into it, but Michael and I met for the first time at an Earth Day party. I will be honest when I say I had high expectations from the very beginning. I didn't leave that weekend thinking, "I hope this will work out." Instead, I left praying, "I hope he is the one."

There are a few things about Michael that everyone knows. He is good-looking (I prefer "hot" but I think that might be rude to say--It's like saying your child is attractive. You know it's true but you can't really say it outloud), smart, shy, and one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Most only scratch the surface of him, but still realize these four attributes rather quickly. He doesn't enjoy being the center of attention, loathes it actually, so you miss a lot because he'd rather listen to you than talk about himself. And he's fascinating. So many people (ahem, ME) love to talk about themselves and usually have three things worth mentioning before they're done. It'd be nice if they stopped there but it is that type of person (ahem, still ME) that continues talking. Perhaps it's because he is so quiet, but he has a billion things he could tell you that you (a) didn't know and (b) would find interesting. I consider myself so lucky because I've learned a million of those things already, and I still have so many million to go...

We celebrate our dating anniversary on April 28. Michael has politely told me that we no longer celebrate the dating anniversary once we're married, but I will never forget it. He came to Fort Smith the following week after the Earth Day party and together we drove to Conway to see a Jimmy Eat World concert. I took off work the next day and we spent the entire day together. He kissed me that afternoon (right as I heard the garage door open, signifying mom was home from work) and so we've declared April 28 our anniversary day. He drove back to Tulsa that evening and I started thinking about wedding colors.

This is not our first picture, but it is one of the first. I think it was taken in the summer of 2005 when I was visiting him in Tulsa. We set the camera up on his tv stand and to this day it is one of our favorites.



After dating for almost a year, I moved to Tulsa and began working at FPC on April 17, 2006. Michael and I wanted to make sure that we could be together in the same place, every day, and still love each other. It was so nice to be able to see each other on a Wednesday--for an entire year we weren't able to do that. It didn't take us long to realize we'd made the right decision.

On Sunday, April 20, 2008 we celebrated our 6-month wedding anniversary. Everyone told us the first year was the "hardest" and we've just had a blast. We realize we've been very lucky so far and that there will be forks in the road that might not be so easy. But for now, we can safely say that getting married was the best decision of our lives, and we're so excited to see what will happen next.



It's neat for me to think about that first picture. I wonder what we were thinking when it was taken? Did we have any idea that that captured moment would end up on the front page of our wedding website, welcoming visitors to read our story and learn about the wedding weekend? I wonder if we knew that three years later we would be living together in a house in Jenks, or that we still occasionally set up the camera on a tv stand to take pictures of just the two of us. I often think "If I knew then what I know now..." but when that flash went off I already knew. I just didn't know at the time that October 20, 2007 would end up being so significant.

I always felt awkward saying "fiance" but I can't say "husband" enough. Life is good, and I am so blessed.

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." -Colossians 3: 14-17 (Scripture read at our wedding...)

LOST = life

I've never been a huge fan of television. I have a few shows that I enjoy and try not to miss, but I despise an entire evening of television for the same reason I do not enjoy 3 hour movies: I get impatient, my legs start losing feeling (as does my brain), and I just start feeling... worthless.

I have had to put these feelings aside for the past 3 weeks in order to obtain our lofty goal of watching all 3 seasons and 8 episodes from season 4 of Lost by next Thursday. Tonight is the season 3 finale. Michael and I have become my worst fear: Lost junkies. We talk about them on the way to work (on a first name basis, naturally), discuss them via email throughout the day, research Lost theories, discuss our excitement of watching the next episode as we drive home, and then BAM! At precisely 4:30p we are on the couch with Thumbs Magee and our eyes are glued to the television. If only it stopped there (it does for Michael)... I then proceed to go to bed and dream about drowning, guns, and, most recently, cancer. Justin pulled a gun on one of our neighbors, I drove off a bridge and woke up right as I was drowning, and last night I found out Michael had cancer. YEESH! And now I'm wasting a blog talking about it.

Hi, my name is Meredith, and I'm a Lostaholic.

A small part of me is dreading when we do finally catch up--right now when there is a crazy ending we just pop in the next dvd and immediately find out what happens. Having to wait a full week sounds pretty obnoxious. For our own sake, however, it's probably best. It's much healthier for me to talk about "Kate" and be referring to my best friend and not a Lost character.

In other news (yes, fortunately I have other news to discuss), it's been a nice 2 weeks. I went to Fort Smith a few weekends ago to visit the parents, Julie, and attend Leah's shower. It was a very quick visit but I had a great time. I also went to dinner with someone who used to be a labor and delivery nurse. I thought raising kids was terrifying--it sounds like a piece of cake next to birthing them. I'll keep the stories to myself, but I now believe the storylines on Grey's Anatomy (minus the whole "everyone hooks up with everyone" ridiculousness).

This past weekend we had a new member dinner on Friday, dinner with Cari, Aubrey, and Kait on Saturday, and a Dave Ramsey party on Sunday. We recently bought a charcoal grill and I learned Sunday evening that Michael can make a mean burg and hot dog. We had about 18 people over--we all decided we needed a breather after 13 weeks of learning about mutual funds, mortgages, etc.. I'm hoping we'll form a small group out of some of the couples, there are several that Michael and I really connect with and I'd love to continue hanging out with them.

Last night was the Feist concert and I ended up not going. I had one of those headaches all day yesterday where you see spots (probably from 456+ hours of watching television) and the thought of going to a very crowded and very loud place made me see even more spots. Cari was very gracious and found someone to take my ticket. I'm sure I missed a good one.

Michael is feeling better, still Coughy McCougherson but improves a bit more each day. He has his TU soccer alumnae weekend this Saturday so mom is coming up to join me for the day. Last year I went and watched him play and felt incredibly awkward. There were tons of wives there but they each had multiple youngsters tagging along. None of them seemed interested in talking to me and I can't say I felt differently. Michael politely told me that I did not need to go this year and I think we both breathed a sigh of relief when I decided to pass. :)

Aaaand I think that is about it from me. Happy Tax day!

And Many More....

This is my 50th post on our blog! Well, it is my 49th post since Michael wrote one last year but since we're a couple we shall celebrate as a couple. Unfortunately, 50% of the couple is at home sick.

Yes, Michael E. Haynes is sick. The other day he mentioned he wasn't feeling well, with the same intensity I use when I tell him I have a miniature headache. I didn't pay much attention to it (I know, bad wife) since he seemed so "eh" about it but realized the severity of the sickness when he woke up approx. 843 times to cough, spit, etc. The morning began with him mentioning his throat was closing up (as if it happened every day), which led to me researching the web to find the closest urgent care clinic. We made the trip and discovered that Michael had a mix of horrid allergies and a viral throat infection. The doc gave him some meds and sent him home. After doing everything I could to help him out, I came to work late and spent a great deal of time thinking/worrying about him. When I came home I was exhausted so I took a long nap. Woke up to my sick husband making us dinner. On a scale of 1 to 47, how bad do you think I felt with that one?!

He's feeling better today, but not great. And once again, I would rather be at home taking care of him. Sigh.

On a happier note, we made the decision on Monday to take an entire week off this summer so we could have a 9-day vacation. This vacation will include sleeping, eating, and relaxing. It will not include a plane trip, stress, or the purchase of a wedding gift. I am super excited about our cheap vacation, it is going to be great for us both.

Reasons why April is a great month (brace yourselves for a lot of exclamation marks):

April 6-7: Get to see my parents and Julie, as well as lunch at Rolandos!
April 12-13: Possibly a visit from Karen and Myers!
April 13: Dave Ramsey party at our place! :)
April 20: Michael's and my 6 month wedding anniversary!
April 26: Summer Buerge's wedding weekend!
April 28: Michael's and my 3 year dating anniversary! (He... and well, everyone else think I'm ridiculous for still celebrating this but come on, 3 years! Woohoo!!)

With all of the aforementioned items, I can deal with a few April showers!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things...

Folks, it is SOCLOSE (see, no separation between the words, that is HOW close we are talking...) to April. The weather is still acting a bit iffy but it is definitely getting warmer. In honor of this great season of Spring, I've decided to discuss a few of my "favorite things" at the moment.

I'm not a huge Hall & Oates person, but for the past 10 years (or so) I have LOVED this song. The video is pretty hilarious, but I thought it would be fun for you to listen to the song while you are reading my favorite things. If you finish this post and don't have some semblance of a smile on your face, you might want to get your head checked.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=h_mKHvkSbn4

(In no particular order):



1. My grey converse shoes. I had a pair of converse shoes when I was much younger but they were hot pink (one of my only hot pink items to date) and were the high-top version. I told Michael a few months ago that I was wanting to buy a pair but couldn't think of a reason. Then! I planned a trip to Boston and was in dire need of walking shoes. Bingo! I picked them up and wore them the entire time I was in Beantown. Not only did they keep my feet warm, but they also kept a smile on my face.


2. Lemonade. I have one rule about lemonade: I won't drink it in the winter. However, it is my life-force in the spring and summer. I can't get enough of the stuff! I picked up a pack of this Countrytime Lite lemonade last week--there are 40 servings per container and I'm already about out. Only has 35 calories, half the sugar, AND it's 99% water! It doesn't get any better than that!


3. Workers at Taco Bell/Blockbuster in Jenks. Ok, we all know that I adore Taco Bell. It is right up there with Michael and my family (small, unfunny joke). Anywho, I've noticed when I go to the Taco Bell in Jenks (Main Street), they are SO NICE to you. They ask you how your day has been and genuinely sound interested in your response. And, when I return the greeting and ask how THEIR day is, they always say something positive. Who does that? Good management, I say. The same is true with Blockbuster. Everytime Michael or I walk in the door they always greet us. And yes, I know it is a requirement at Blockbuster for employees to say hello but the one we used to go to in Tulsa was more of a grunt. This one actually makes you feel like you're wanted in their store. It's a small store, very cozy, and I like it... a lot.


4. LOST. What were Michael and I thinking by waiting so long to discover the greatness that is LOST? We're almost done with season 1 and have a goal of watching season 2 and 3 before LOST starts up again end of April. Can we do it? Most people would think, "Of course not, that is a ridiculous amount of episodes (approx 55) to watch in such a short time." But we... we are different. We are losers. And we love a challenge, even if said challenge gives the narrator of this blog severe nightmares (if I have one more dream of being deserted on an island with ridiculously good-looking people, I'm not sure what I'll do).


5. Banana Republic tank tops. I love tank top season. Tank tops with jeans, tank tops with shorts... I'm not particular, as long as it involves a tank top. I favor the BR tank tops because they are extra long and don't lose their shape after you've worn them a few hours. If you're a savvy shopper, which I happen to be about 45% of the time, you can get them uber cheap. And since I'm being honest, I've decided my new 'do looks much better in summer clothes than winter clothes (cue eye roll from Justonian).

So there you have it. The song should be ending soon (you ARE listening to it, correct?) so I'll end this post as well. Hooray for spring time and favorite things. Here comes the sun (do do dodo)!

I'm Married to Popeye

You know the song that came out a long time ago (and wasn't good), "Where have all the cowboys gone?" Change the word "cowboys" to "weekends" and you have the question I keep asking myself.

We were blessed with a 3-day weekend so Michael and I decided we'd spend Friday in our pajamas cleaning the house and being lazy. Michael called his parents to find out when they'd be arriving on Saturday and was surprised with the news that they were already on the road driving to Tulsa. He quickly got off the phone and the laidback day of cleaning turned into a frantic rush to get everything ready (including ourselves) before they arrived. We were able to clean up before they arrived and even had a few minutes to spare. After hanging around the house, the 4 of us went to dinner at Gina and Guiseppe's and had a nice time catching up.

Can we talk about March Madness for a second? And how Michael and I both filled out a bracket? And how I am beating him at the moment? Ok, the moment has passed...

Saturday morning my parents joined the festivities and the 6 of us tried a hole-in-the-wall bbq place for lunch. It was fantastic! I can't even remember how the bbq tasted but the fried okra was delicious! It is good to know I have an okra fix less than 5 miles from my house. The girls split up for a bit and went to Utica to pick out a baby gift for Leah's shower and then joined the boys for an afternoon of, you guessed it, basketball. Michael and I wanted to prove to our parents that we do actually use the wedding gifts we were given so we made dinner for the parents. It was a mexican fiesta with tacos, refried beans, cheese and guacamole dip, etc. We had a nice time cooking it and then Michael ran off to a surprise birthday party.

Sunday morning (Hoppy Easter!) we went to the 9:30a service and enjoyed a great sermon. Afterwards we had a nice brunch at Red Rock Canyon. My parents are like us and enjoy having Sunday afternoon to relax before the week begins so they left pretty early (around 1p). Michael's parents watched the Texas game and then took off as well. And then Michael and I watched 4 (yes, 4) episodes of Lost from season 1. What a great show! We have several friends who bring up events from the show so we finally decided it was time to join the rest of the world and find out what we'd been missing. I really like the show, Michael LOVES the show. It is a great conversation piece--we have brought it up amongst ourselves several times and have had some great discussions.

Before I forget, Dad took our annual outdoor Easter pictures. I do believe mom, Michael, and I have the 3 most sensitive sets of eyes this side of the Atlantic ocean (ha) so the pictures turned out, once again, dreadful. Mom's and my eyes were non-existent but Michael's face was classic. Please see below (I realize it is not him, nor was he punching the camera, but the eyes are identical):



And that is all I have for today. Should be a pretty laidback week and then I have a leadership retreat all weekend. I know it will be good for me to attend but I can't say I'm too excited about it now. Actually my excitement level is at a 1 (on a scale from 1 to 93). At least I have a positive attitude, right? HA!

It's SPRING!

I know it's early but...

HOPPY Easter!! (I've said it for 25 years and I'm not about to stop now!)

I dedicate the following picture to Michael Justin Besancon, the only (other) person in the world who knows the huge significance of finding the giant purple egg. Mom and Dad may think they have a clue, but they have no idea...

:) It's mine, sucka!!! :)



Disclaimer: The picture is a little creepy--I found it online and did not actually do a photo shoot with a giant purple egg... in a bowl of rocks.

I'm Like the Godfather with My Days of the Week

When I was young and still had 3 glorious months of summer vacation, I would lose track of the date (or the day for that matter). I thought it was a Tuesday when indeed it was a Friday. I used to consider losing track a success, proof that I really was on vacation without a care in the world. I am back to confusing dates, yet I don't consider it a success. In fact, I think it is full-force delirium from being in 3 different states in 2 weeks and also being sick twice. Not only do I not know what day it is, I have a hard time remembering if it is March or April, or God forbid, we're back in February. I need a true vacation--one that does not involve long plane/car rides or late nights. I need a beach during the day and I need my pajamas by 8:00 at night. And if I'm really being honest, I need my vacation to last approximately 55+ years so I can retire afterwards.

Enough complaining. I have checked my calendar and it is March 19, 2008. A Wednesday. Wednesdays are typically good days for me--I am enough of an optimist that I consider the workweek "half over" and I'm already looking forward to my 4th favorite day of the week--Thursday! I'm especially excited about this week since Michael and I both have Good Friday off. 3 day weekends--the next best thing to 55 year vacations!!

In reference to my last post, Michael and I drove to StL on Friday and had a great time. We arrived at dinnertime and Michael Brannan put together a fabulous meal of salmon with crab stuffing, shrimp pasta, and a salad (obviously my least favorite of the bunch but still delicious). We drank some wine and caught up with the new parents. We were able to meet Maddilyn but she was pretty tired and preferred sleep to entertaining 2 strangers (can't say I blame her). We went to the St. Patrick's Day parade on Saturday and then had lunch with Emily and Jake. It was fun to see them and the 6 of us had a nice time catching up. We had dinner with Melissa's family for her mom's birthday and then we left pretty early Sunday morning so we could make it back in time for our Dave Ramsey class. We made it back in plenty of time.

...We didn't go.

In our defense, we were away all weekend and a 6-hour car trip REALLY takes it out of you. Instead we came home and relaxed the rest of the day, which was so nice. Michael and I decided on the trip home that we want to go on a NICE vacation every other year and then on the off year we can either (a) save up for the following year's vacation or (b) buy something nice for the house. Of course we'll be saving money too but we feel it is very important to treat ourselves to something nice once a year as long as we have the means to do so. We both love to travel and it is a great "hobby" of ours. Not to mention,once the little ones are around vacations change drastically, and we want our share of nice beaches and fruity drinks before we trade them in for bottles and mouse ears. Kapeesh?

I have no pictures to post--my apologies!! Both sets of parents are coming in for Easter this weekend and we're really looking forward to it. I saw mom for a (short) day last week but it's been awhile since I've seen dad. It'll be great to have them here for more than a few hours!

Rain Rhymes With Pain (in my....)

Yikes! I just realized my last post was almost 2 weeks ago! Time flies when you're busy every weekend...

Where to begin...?

Since late last year, Leslie had been planning a trip to Boston for a conference. We'd all talked about me going as well and having a trifecta reunion. And then we bought a house. And then we purchased furniture for the house. And then I lied to Julie and told her I couldn't afford to go. I think I bought my ticket January 1 and was so proud of Leslie and myself for keeping it a secret for over 2 months!! I drove to Shawnee Thursday night and then Leslie and I both drove to OKC Friday morning for our flight to Boston. Had a great time catching up with Leslie and we were both giddy (literally) with excitement over our surprise! Saw Julie at the airport and we all decided the months of silence was well worth it! Julie's best friend Kristen (who apparently is my long-lost twin) joined us throughout the weekend. She is the unfamiliar face in the pictures below!

We had a fabulous time in Boston. Friday night and all day Saturday was easily the ugliest weather I have ever experienced in my 25 years of living. Cold, rainy, miserable. We still had a blast. We ate a light dinner on Friday, had a fantastic martini at this neat martini bar and then went to one of Julie's favorite bars that reminded me a lot of Tulsa bars. Very laidback, very non-pretentious (my favorite). Afterwards, we went back to Julie's apartment and she and I stayed up until 3a or so catching up. It was great and I don't think I moved once when I finally went to sleep.

Saturday morning we had breakfast at a little restaurant in a bookstore and I had a $15 omelet. Can you believe it?! And yes, it was the best omelet I've ever had in my life, although I have a hard time understanding why they felt the need to charge $2.25 for avocado. Last time I checked it was not an endangered fruit. Come on! After breakfast we toured a bit of Boston and then headed to the ICA, which is a modern art museum. It was insane. I was thinking, "Oh modern art, I hope to see some Kandinskys!" No, this was the modern art where you feel like you need to be in a drug-induced state to even understand what's going on (since i'm fairly sure the artists were in that same state when they created this so-called "art"). We had a great time looking at the architecture of the building but were completely hopeless when it came to actually understanding what we were viewing.

After the art museum we went to a seafood place for dinner and then came home and relaxed for a bit. Julie really likes the band, "Kill the Alarm" and they were opening for another band at a nearby bar so we went there Saturday evening. Don't worry, the name of the band does not reflect the music--no death metal, etc. Another fun evening!

Sunday we awoke to something glorious: the sun! It was still windy but it is crazy how you feel invincible when the sun is out. It could have been -45 degrees and I would have been fine! We spent most of Sunday shopping and I found some great things. We also visited the Harvard campus and I felt right at home (riiiight). :) We ate dinner at a cute Italian restaurant that night and then I went to bed relatively early. Monday was spent in the airport or on an airplane. Long delays, long flights, loooong day.






It was so great to see Michael on Monday but I believe I was awake for a grand total of 25 minutes once I got home. Mom came to Tulsa on Tuesday to see the musical "Rent." We had some freetime before the show so we poked around Utica Square and ate at Bourbon Street. It was also Michelle's birthday so I gave her a call to wish her the happiest of days. The show was FABULOUS! I'm not sure mom felt the same way but I adored it. Want to see it again. The music was fantastic, some of the best I've ever heard. All in all--5 stars from this gal.

It turns out, lo and behold, I am NOT capable of going and going and going without suffering repercussions. I got hit with the sick bug again. I was afraid it was strep but I've diagnosed myself (as of last night) with having a terrible cold. Congestion, sore throat, coughing, runny nose, yech. This is great news considering I'm leaving in about 30 minutes to drive to StL to visit Melissa and a BABY! Anyone have a doctor's mask? :) I've been drinking plenty of water and just took a sudafed. We'll see how it goes.

I realize this is a long post but I still feel like I blew through everything. Should have been twice as long but I don't have the energy and I don't think anyone has the patience. Really looking forward to seeing the Brannans and holding Maddi (I'm also terrified, but excitement overrides nerves).

Happy early St. Patrick's Day! I love any chance to wear green. :)

Am I Invisible?!

Well it finally happened. After several months of avoiding it, I came down with something last week. I started feeling kind of crappy Tuesday afternoon so I layed down on a pew in the sanctuary (now how many people can say they have THAT opportunity at work?). After a few minutes I realized it wasn't going to get any better so I drove home. Won't go into details but it wasn't a pleasant evening. I stayed home Wednesday and Thursday and recovered from whatever bug it was that hit me. As much as I would have loved a 5-day weekend, I decided it was in my best interest to come back to work on Friday and it was then that I discovered something about myself: I'm not the first thing/person that crosses everyone's mind. In fact, I might be dead last, AFTER paying the bills and taking out the trash. NO ONE except my boss even knew I was gone. 2.5 days of sickness! I wasn't expecting a "welcome back" banner or flowers but perhaps a few emails or phone calls of well-wishing. NOTHING!!! What makes this puny attempt at sympathy an absolute tragedy is that I had a few deadlines at work that I assumed had been completed (since apparently I thought they would call an all-staff meeting to make everyone aware of my temporary absence) but no one knew I was gone so nothing was done. I had a ton of phone calls, emails, etc. of desperate people wanting to know where I was and why they hadn't received this or that. The only thing worse than being sick is coming back to work and being bombarded with frustrated church and staff members. It was all I could do to not walk right back out and head home again! Anywho, after 5 minutes of just staring off into space and wondering about my worth (or lack thereof) on God's green earth, I got back to work and completed 3 days of work in 1 day. I was pretty proud of myself and it somewhat made up for the humongous pity party that happened that morning (and has somewhat continued on this post).

That night we went to a tiny Mexican restaurant on Main Street with Kait and Steve. I misunderstood the menu and ended up ordering 1 tiny soft taco--I thought it was "dinner for one" but it actually meant one item. The entire plate had a 5-inch diameter and I left the restaurant with a very hungry stomach. We went to Marble Slab and picked up dessert (the Mexican restaurant closed at 8p and did not have any dessert--what?!) and then came back to our house to play some Guitar Hero and Tiger Woods golf. It was fun catching up with them and we all agreed that we would not be returning to said Mexican restaurant.

Michael and I decided we'd start our other New Year's resolution 2 months (to the day) late. We exercised on Saturday. Both of us left with high hopes and came back with high blood pressure. Who knew we could both get out of shape so fast! I am going to make a workout calendar for us and buy some stickers to put on the days we actually work out. Sounds juvenile but I will run to great lengths for a sticker. Perhaps I'll even go crazy and get scratch n' sniffs.

Saturday after the ridiculous attempt to exercise, Michael and I went to dinner with Garrett and Tara. Michael and Garrett work together and the 4 of us met at Lola's for some delicious food. We had a great time and look forward to doing it again soon! Garrett lived and worked in Dallas after college so we swapped stories of good places to eat and shop. I'm already looking forward to our next trip to Dallas!

That's about it! Michael has yet to get sick and is feeling pretty good. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he can avoid what has now been labeled an "epidemic." Yeesh.

My "Trip" to Kansas City

After my bachelorette party last June I wrote a post titled, "Sleeping With My Eyes Open." I'm now back from Summer's bachelorette party and could easily recycle that title. :) We had a great time and it was nice to meet the other bridesmaids. Kait and I drove to Overland Park on Friday night and stayed at Summer's house. The next morning we had her personal shower at one of the bridesmaid's homes and then it was off to Weston, MO, population 1160 (give or take 3). We went to a winery and then had dinner at a cute little restaurant. Afterwards we went to an Irish pub, which was about 2 floors underground. It was very musty when we first arrived and all of us were a little nervous about the long trek to the "basement." It turned out to be a fantastic experience. The band included a guitarist, drummer, and a violinist and at one point they called Summer to the stage and played Pachelbel's Canon in D. I stood there with my mouth gaping open, it was so impressive.

What was NOT impressive was my ability to walk correctly. After we'd been there for 30 minutes, I was trying to get from one side of the bar to the other and there were 2 steps down. I only thought there was ONE step so of course I tripped and fell hard on my knees. I'd grabbed something on the way down so as soon as I hit the floor I looked up to see what my left hand was doing. Great news for me, I'd latched onto some older man's belt buckle. I was mortified. His wife was less than thrilled. I apologized profusely and walked (hobbled) away as fast as possible. I now have 2 scabby knees and a wife that hates me. The rest of the night was great and didn't end until 3:30a. Kait and I left Weston around 9a on Sunday and drove home as fast as possible to get back to the husband and the fiance. I really missed him this weekend!





One small rant... Us Weekly's latest issue has "The Littlest Victims" splashed across the front. I was always told "littlest" was not a word and rightfully so--just say the word and you feel stupid. Say "littler" and you're now on the same level as a 4-year-old. Say "smallest" and your IQ will jump at least 20. Anywho, I also noticed a billboard in Tulsa for a medical center that said, "Our littlest patients." What?! I finally looked up the word on dictionary.com and turns out, it now IS an accepted word:

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) -
lit·tle [lit-l] lit·tler or less or less·er, lit·tlest or least, adverb, less, least, noun



I blame Webster for not standing up to the English language. Now his dictionary includes ebonics, slang, etc. I will say, I am 5% curious if the word has, in fact, always been a word and I was told incorrectly, but I'm pretty sure it is a recent addition and one that I refuse to add to my own personal vocabulary. Small, smaller smallest. Little, smaller, smallest. Done.

Crazy Town!

I think I've mentioned this before--one of my New Year's resolutions (and the only one I've actually kept) is to read the entire Bible this year. I have a reading schedule and it ends up being about 3-4 chapters every night. What has hit me the hardest is that the people back then are NO better than we are today. As they say in Steel Magnolias, "there are some pretty sick tickets in this town." For so long I've heard how each generation is worse than the one before and how "back in the old days people didn't do this stuff." You hear that enough until you're finally convinced that your own generation is the bruise on an otherwise perfect record of the world's existance. Never again will I believe that! I won't go into details, but read Genesis through Numbers and then you tell me that we're in the middle of a never-before-seen crisis!

We're still enjoying Dave Ramsey and learning a lot. He said something the other night that really hit home. I wrote it down and of course I don't have my book with me when I need it, but it was the concept of being happy in the NOW, and not constantly looking for something else to make you even happier... A kindergartner says she'll be happy when she is in REAL school, and then when she's in real school she decides she will be happy when she's in middle school, and the middle schooler will finally be happy when they can drive, and then the driver will really be happy when she leaves for college, etc. It's a vicious cycle that never ends! I don't think I've used the phrase, "I'll be happy when..." but I KNOW I've thought, "I"ll be satisfied when..." And the point is, you're never going to be satisfied with the next step if you can't be satisfied with the present. For me it was moving to Tulsa, and then marrying Michael, and then buying a house, and then buying stuff for the house... What am I doing to myself? I'm living the dream I've had for so long yet I'm constantly sticking my head out to see what else is out there to make me even MORE satisfied. Jeez, Meredith, grow up!

Kait and I are leaving tomorrow for Summer's bachelorette party in Kansas City. It's going to be a great weekend and I'm excited to see everyone and meet the other bridesmaids. I think the temperature is going to be around -40 all weekend so I'm mentally preparing myself for some blistering weather! My office has a 90-year-old window that might as well be a hole in the wall so whether I wanted to or not I've already physically prepared myself for the cold. I have a pair of warm slippers at work that I'm not embarrassed to use (thanks Michelle and Justin!) and my space heater is less than 6 inches from my feet. Safe? No. Ridiculously warm? Absolutely!

Off to our weekly meetings!

Ps. Barack is doing really well! Hooray! As our 6th graders in j-life would say, "woot."

My Cat Could Beat Up Your $50k Dog...

I watched the Westminster dog show today and it made me so grateful for my overweight pal. She might not have the shiniest coat or papers that date back to prehistoric times, but she's fat and fabulous and I'm crazy about her. Michael and I are both in our office and about 10 minutes ago I looked up to see that Thumbs was not so happy with our fish screensaver... :)



I figured if I was posting one picture I might as well dedicate this entire post to our favorite feline. We're not having kids anytime soon so these are the best "kid pictures" you're going to get from us for a while!

When Michael and I were moving in, we found Thumbs in the strangest positions. She absolutely LOVED this suitcase, so we left it there for some time:


She's quite the jumper!

All cuddled up with Michael's workout shorts:

Her "hiding spot" in the sun under the rocking chair:

I love holding her in my lap like this. She tolerates it pretty well:

"I know the answer! Pick me, pick me!":

I think I'd just told her she wasn't getting dinner:

February--Take a hike!

There are 2 (count 'em--2) redeeming qualities about February.

1. Justonian's birthday
2. Short month

No, I didn't forget to include Valentine's day--I don't find it redeeming enough to be considered a quality. :) It's a fine day, I don't mind the colors red or pink (although I find them to be a hideous combination) and I'm not going to say I don't love a good meal and a sweet gift from my favorite person. But! If the day were to fall off a bridge or disappear into the woods, I can't say I'd shed many tears.

If you can't tell, I'm full force into my annual winter slump. I want to be the groundhog and find some hole to crawl into (one that is big enough to fit my husband, television, microwave and a stack of books) and safely stay there until the sun decides to come out and play. I've always preferred warm weather, but I do begin each winter season with immense optimism. It lasts until mid-January and then I begin itching (literally itching--stupid winter skin) to get to May and the glorious warmth that comes with it. I consider myself pretty modest, but February is about the time my appendages are sick of being covered up. Just like my brain, they need some sun too!!

This is not going to be a negative post so I believe I will list 5 things that have made me smile this week:

1. My 1.5 hour talk with my brother on his birthday
2. The funny V-Day card from my parents
3. Driving to work in the morning with Michael (great way to start my day)
4. Free pizza at J-Life
5. Seeing Kait try on her wedding dress!
BONUS! I am one of three people in Tulsa that has not come down with the flu (Michael is the second of those three people)

I could go on but I won't. I do think it is important to remember the good things in slumpy times. Yes, slumpy. If we're allowed to feel sorry for ourselves for more than a few minutes, things go from bad to unbearable. I don't want that.

Michael's parents are visiting this weekend and it will be great to see them. They are very easy to entertain so it should be a relaxing weekend for all of us (and you know how much I love those)!

And I'll end with a confession. Michael and I are HOOKED on Law & Order and Without A Trace. If you are patient and search long enough, you can find one of them on television 24 hours a day. And with our new best friend, DVR, we are able to record said shows and watch them (a) whenever we choose and (b)... wait for it... WITHOUT commercials! It is fabulous! My attention span is minimal (I've covered 18 different topics in one post) so give me a mystery that begins and ends in 45 minutes and we have a winner!

Since I began this post, I have made up my mind that I am going to beat February--not in the literal sense (although that would be a funny visual) but in the purest way. Chin up, shoulders back, walking right through it with a smile on my face. It'll make me a better person and who knows? Perhaps I'll find another redeeming quality along the way. I'm up for the challenge.

I'm Hoping for a Truly SUPER Tuesday!

I realize that this is not only my blog but also my darling husband's blog as well. However, he has written 1 out of the 39 posts so I believe I have permission to do this...



Oh that felt good. I am about to go vote for this man and I sincerely hope he does well today. I actually like both Democratic candidates so I'll be ok with either outcome, although I really prefer Barack.

I was raised to believe that talking about politics is a terrible idea but I was in a short (email) conversation today with a Republican and we both called the other party "mean." I respectfully asked him what makes a Democrat "mean" and I have yet to hear back from him--I'm so curious! Perhaps he's saying higher taxes are mean or being pro-choice is mean? I suppose I understand the thought process but if that's the case I find his definition of "mean" very juvenile. What do you think? How is a Democrat mean? Last I checked, giving everyone the chance to have healthcare, bringing soldiers home from battle, and allowing a woman full control of her own body sounded pretty nice! I could go on but I won't. Anywho, I realize I may receive negative comments re. this subject and that is ok--just help me understand. Feel free to even be MEAN with what you say! Haha.

Done with that, moving on. We're having our very first "party" this weekend for one of Michael's work buddies. He is leaving us for New Jersey (yes, New Jersey. I know what you're thinking and I completely agree). Anywho, we're expecting around 15 people to show up and I think it'll be a really good time. If you're in the area, feel free to stop by. :)



That's about all I've got folks. If you're one of the fabulous 24, don't forget to vote today! I don't want to cause you to lean one way or the other but the following is a true statement and should be taken into consideration... :)

Layout #2

Same layout as the original but different colors! Could be fun for awhile!

New Year.. New Layout?

Thought I'd spice things up a bit but I'm not sure if I'm wild about the new template. Thoughts?

Give Me a Raspberry Beret (the kind you find at a secondhand store)

I.... don't know what to write about. I have an unfortunate case of blogger's block, which I find a bit disturbing. This blog is not for the purpose of making up creative stories, it's to fill you in on our life. To go an entire week and not have a thing to write about is.... well, quite pathetic really.

(1 minute)

(2 minutes)

(ate my lunch and pondered)

(20 minutes later): It's back!

Saturday night was Ryan's birthday. The plan was to celebrate his birth by eating at In the Raw. Michael and I, being the huge fans that we are, spent quite a bit of time getting ready for the celebration. We arrived at the restaurant to find 600 eyes staring at us (because that is what you DO at In the Raw: watch and judge, watch and judge). Unfortunately, none of those eyes were recognizable and we quickly learned that the party had moved to Tsunami. Don't get me wrong, I LIKE Tsunami, but it is no In the Raw. We got back in the car, listened to the great hits of Mix 96 (my new favorite radio station--to be discussed in a bit) and soon found out the restaurant had changed yet again to Outback. Talk about a 3rd place finisher. I told Michael I was waiting for the final call letting us know we were to meet at the Braum's drive-through. Oh well, the dinner was fun and it was good to hang out with Michael's work friends.

We ran a few (fun) errands on Saturday and enjoyed the "warmer" weather. I decided that I don't mind running errands if they are on our own time. For example, we decide to go grocery shopping because we want to cook a glorious meal. THAT is fun. However, we decide to go grocery shopping because the only food in the cupboard is tuna in a can--THAT is not fun.

Due to the ridiculous amount of things we did on Saturday: Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Banana Republic, IO Metro, and Outback (I'm exhausted just thinking about it.... and I hope you're catching the sarcasm), we decided we should stay in our pajamas until 5:30p on Sunday. It was great! Steve and Kait came over for a bit and then we went to our Dave Ramsey class.

My last topic and then I shall sign off-- Mix 96. I recently put together a Communications budget for the church, which included a pretty large strategic marketing campaign for 2008. One of the requests the budget and finance committee had before they would grant the money was that I meet with some of the radio and tv advertising managers so that I might get a better feel of cost and demographics. The radio manager I met with kept talking about Mix 96 and what a great demographic it would be for the church. She described it as women in their thirties with children. I decided to give it a listen on my way home from work and had a goofy grin on my face the entire time. Apparently I have advanced 10 years in age and Thumbs is an official child. Seriously though, how can you not smile when Prince's "Raspberry Beret" hits the airwaves or Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" blasts through the speakers? I am officially hooked and proud of it. Give me a fanny pack and some mom jeans and I'm all set. Ok that last sentence was a joke--I'm going to give a big HELL NO to both.

Tonight Michael and I are going to watch the OSU/OU basketball game with our new neighbors--the husband works with Michael. I do believe we'll all be sporting bright orange. On Friday we'll be heading towards StL! It's been awhile since I've been there and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone. Hopefully the weather will be a little warmer than last time--yeesh.

It's almost February, which is a short month and then BAM! We're into March, which is SO CLOSE to April, and that just happens to be one month away from warmer weather. It's basically right around the corner... :)

Home... Sweet, sweet home.

Dad took approx. 250 shots of our house this weekend and I am posting all of them! Only kidding, I narrowed them down quite a bit (and still came up with quite a few). Let the tour begin!

Front of our home:




Back of our home:


Entryway:


Breakfast area:


Kitchen:





Living Room:


I think this is my favorite "detail" of the house:


I love our coffee table (and also my mom who apparently learned hand gestures from Bob Dole):


Master bedroom:


Master cat:



Entry to master bathroom:


Master bathroom:


Michael and I picked out the mirrors and hung them ourselves!



Extra bedroom:


Office:


2nd bathroom:


We hung 2 pictures in this bathroom: a manatee and an ostrich. Yes, I am weird. And yes, Michael is the best:


We love our new home!! We have hung 3 pictures so the walls are still pretty bare but we will get to that eventually!!