Goody Goody Gumdrops...and stuff.

Yes it is! As I was walking the mall humming, "War, huh yeah, what is it good for? Absolutely Nothing...yeahhhhhhh WAR...." I don't know why it was in my head, just go with it.

I noticed Starbucks and thought man wouldn't it be.....Then I saw it. A huge chalkboard that said It's BACK! The Cinnamon Dolce Latte! I made a U-turn right into Starbucks. I wasn't even thirsty, but that's what it does to me. They said would you like to try it with the sugar free syrup and I was disgusted they would even suggest such a thing...

I WOULD LIKE A TALL CINNAMON DOLCE LATTE WITH SUGAR....LOTS AND LOTS PLEASE!

I even carried on a conversation with the coffee barrista about how excited and thankful I was that they had it back. He told me they had boxes and boxes of it and I thought I might just have a seizure right there in line I was so happy!

So who wants to hold up Starbucks with me?

Sorry Dad.

So I ventured to the mall today and picked up some much needed accessories. I think accessories really make the outfit. I bought two necklaces, one pair of red hoops, and some head bands, ohh and a really cute wide black belt to go on the outside of this white button down shirt that I bought.

I've said it many many times, and I'll say it again- I hate going to the mall. Especially by myself. I left this morning to run errands for my wicked cool fiance, and go shopping and I just didn't feel like getting 'ready' I didn't look the part to go shopping. I had an old t-shirt with my college logo, and my MOST FAVORITE PAIR OF JEANS the ones with the holes in each knee. These jeans were not bought with holes, they have evolved into what are now my most favorite, comfy pair of jeans. If my dad were reading this he'd cringe.

Growing up if I had a shirt or jeans with a hole, even if it were a very small hole, somehow he'd manage to hook it with this finger and proceed to rip it as we walked by him. He always said that his girls would not walk out of the house with holes in their clothes-"You look like a rag doll" he would say.

Ironic?`

Last night I was really hungry so I made a frozen pizza and had some french fries.... ITS HORRIBLE, but I did it. Then I walked over to the magazines and picked up beauty and fitness, a bridal magazine. It didn't even occur to me what I was doing until I was flipping through the pages and found the 'diet' portion of the magazine.

I sometimes feel like I'm waiting for my motivation, even though I feel like that should have been...Hey fat ass, you're getting married!

I'm going shopping.

Little Black Dress

There are times in our lives when we'll wear little black dresses right? I recently bought a "little black dress" It is SO cute, its a satin type of material, with a v-neck, and drops down low in the back. I was going to wear it for new years, but chickened out. I'm always doing that, I feel like since I'm already a freakish six foot tall, why add heals and a "little black dress"? I think I'm going to take it right back to the mall and exchange it for some student teaching clothes....Growing up sucks.

Updates

So a new year has finally arrived. We brought it in with a bang. I won't go into details, I'll only tell you that Colby hugged a trashcan on the couch all night. :) Today is my last day to work this week, I have Wednesday-Friday off. During this time I'll be racking my brain trying to figure out where we'll get married...etc.

It would be so much easier if you could go online and look at all the different locations with all the different prices all lined up so you could compare. BLEH!

For my bridesmaids...we'll really need to get your sizes soon so I can have my lady start making your dresses...we really need to go shopping for fabric.

I got my student teaching calendar today... I start officially student teaching on the 17th of January. Exciting.

Christmas was fantastic, I got to enjoy two days with my family which was very nice. I hope everyone had a great Christmas, and a fantastic New Year!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY PARENTS! Their anniversary was new years eve.

Miss Moo

Ok, I had to put some of these on here because she is the most precious little thing I've ever seen! Here are a few pictures of Miss Moo:

Random me this, random me that...

Yesterday I went out into the Christmas rush. Yes, Its not a surprise to hear that I've just started my Christmas shopping. I do this every year. I can't help it, I feel so much like I'm chasing myself anyways that it's the norm for me. Next year I'm going to start Christmas shopping in July. That is one of my goals. I didn't really have any wants this year, I'm so excited for the wedding I just want that to be taken care of and planned.

I'm having a super hard time finding a church that will marry us since we do live together, and are not members of a church. That isn't because we don't want to become members, but I'm never able to go to church during the morning hours. Once I start teaching and Colby and I are half way settled we'll definitely join a church, but right now I think it would be wrong to join a church if we aren't able to attend. I called the park board today and its 250.00 to rent a park for a wedding and if it rains the lady basically told me that I'm Shit outta luck. I'm so STRESSED OUT! I want it to be planned for me. Ladies feel free to input on this I need it.

Things I have:

• Dress
• Reception Site
• Colby's Wedding Band
  

Things I don't have:

• Everything else.

Oy!

So i'm sitting here at the computer and have been since 10 o'clock... I've been listening to John Legend, and Michael Buble to name a couple to make time pass. I have ONE standards paper to pass, and i've been waiting to see if its passed or not ALL MORNING! I have to have it done by tomorrow morning at 8:30am! I'm tired and mad, i'm missing work for this crap.

Tis' the season

Tonight I found out that I passed my third standards paper. ONE MORE LEFT!!! I'm super excited. Tonight I've just been waiting to get those results so I've not really known what to do with myself, because I have nothing to do but WAIT! Next week I should find out if I passed the praxis exam or not.... Its up in the air, it was a really tough test.

In other news: It's that time of year again when the wal-mart customers are at their cheeriest. Today I had this lady looking for Moon Shoes, boots that you strap on and can bounce in-I always wanted a pair as a child..., I found a pair on the very top shelf. The shelf that says - Get an associate to help you. I started to get the box off the riser, and the lady shoved me out of the way and said, "I'm taller I'll get it." I looked at the lady in amazement because she was all of 5 foot 6 inches tall and here I am 6 foot and she's taller than me. People are so weird. So I moved out the way and watched her jump around until I stepped in and finished the job.

At last....

This day will be marked as the OFFICIAL last day of classes at Missouri State University! I cannot believe I have actually survived this! Today I passed standards paper number 2. I have two more to go and I'm DONE!

WOOOHOOO.... oh and I'm getting sick as well. So there won't be too much partying...not too much..

Vulnerability

I am extremely exhausted! I've had such a busy day today at school! Today we had "Showcase" it's where everyone has to present a piece of writing that they've been working on all semester. I decided that I would create a letter for my dad telling him how proud I am for how far he's come.

I sat down in front of tons of people and tried to explain why I wrote this letter, and that I wasn't going to write it all because I wouldn't get through the whole thing. As I sat there so vulnerable, I attempted to read just one paragraph. I didn't even get through that. I started getting a lump in my throat put my hand to my face, and when my voice started to squeak I knew the water works had been turned on. I had to stand up and quietly go to my seat. I've come a long way this semester.

Curse of the skinny jeans...

So tonight as I was doing laundry looking for my favorite pair of jeans, that I have yet to find, I opened my closet and there they were...not my favorite pair- my skinny jeans. Every morning when I open my closet I look up and there they are, nicely folded sitting on the top shelf. I say all this while I'm eating a bowl of honeycombs, but I want to burn those jeans! I've not been able to fit into those jeans for two summers now. So I take the jeans down out of the closet tonight and try both pairs on. It was ugly. I did manage to get them over the thighs, but It took an act of God to get out of them. I started to feel claustrophobic and thought I was going to have to call in reinforcements, but then I peeled them off and put on a much more comfortable pair of scrub pants. Afterwards I threw those jeans in the back of my closet, and came downstairs to put on Sex and the City season 4.

I've stopped drinking soda, which was a HUGE step for me now I think I've found the wedding dress, and I have motivation to work my ass into shape.

Snow Day

SNOW! Yes we finally have some crazy weather. Yesterday it was 70 degrees right now it's sitting at 20. We have tons of ice falling sticking, soon it will change to snow and we're expected to get 12 inches or more. I'm excited. This morning I woke up and ran downstairs to open the front door, it was SO cold! I love it! I got the guys up and we watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I took my shower and decided I would bundle up and go to the store, it was a crazy thing to do, but I needed some oreos to go with my milk. Now I'm back home and warm sitting on the couch. I'm going to start doing some homework in a minute....bleh!

This really gets me in the Christmas spirit! I bought a brownie mix to make later on for dessert. Mmmmm I love the cold...but only when I can stay inside in my pajamas on the couch.

In Other News...

Today, I received an e-mail saying that I had passed my first standards paper! This is fantastic...three more papers to go and I've finished the semester! I've got three or four more things to do for this semester and I'm done......DONE! No more MSU campus for me. Student teaching here I come! I'm ready.


In other news. I miss my wicked cool fiance, Colb. COME HOME!

Isn't it funny how when you're young it was always about the food?

I hope everyone had a fantastic Turkey Day! I had the best Thanksgiving ever! Lets recap the events from last year shall we?

Last year at this time, I was the saddest girl you'd have ever known. My dad was in a hospital fighting a crippling case of depression. I say crippling because that's how it felt to me. Not being able to do something more for people you love is the worst pain of all. We sat in that hospital on Thanksgiving day and talked with him, I cried...Mom and Uncle Daddy talked to him. We went into the music room...something that was supposed to help my dad, he brought his guitar to pass the time. I remember very very clearly hearing the nurse tell all of the patients that David had brought his guitar to play for everyone. In a sterile room I sat and watched my dad play with my Uncle Daddy a bluegrass melody. I felt like I was suffocating. I wanted to drag him out of there and knock some sense in him. WHY was he playing for all these patients, why wasn't he home? Why was he acting like them? That's not my dad he's too strong for this. It was a heavy heart day. There are no ways to describe the hurt I felt that day.

Jump forward to this year:


I went home and enjoyed a fantastic meal with my Mims, and Dad. Stori and Kyle and Moo was there, as well as my Granny Carol, and a few other family members. I did think of Uncle Daddy and Gran, it was the first Thanksgiving we'd spent without Uncle Daddy, and the second without Gran. Not one single day goes by that they're not running through my mind. Still today was one of the happiest Thanksgiving's in a long time. We all had each other, and I danced in the sun room with my mom. It's a great day for thanks, and everyday I'm thanking God.

Dear Readers,

I feel like I'm never able to do this anymore. It bums me out because, I'm still able to get online and see all of the blogs that I enjoy reading on a daily basis. School has been so crazy and I'm just counting the days until I'm able to just to breathe. This is all the time I have I'm getting ready for ANOTHER class.

XOXO
Char-Marie

Life.

Well, I'm officially 23! I've actually made it to my twenty third birthday, not that I wasn't expecting to, its always nice to make it one more year. Some people think of getting old as such a sad thing. "Oh no! One more year has passed and I'm not where I feel like I should be in life.." There is only one way to fix that. Do something! I find every birthday better than the last. This has been my most favorite birthday yet!

Not because of gifts, but because of where I am in life. I never knew what would happen year after year, I knew what I wanted to happen. I do not think we're floating aimlessly in life, you have to help to guide yourself. This year I feel like a grown up...sorta. I say sorta because I'm still a child at heart. I definitely giggle at the wrong times, and I am known to be immature on a few occasions.

Anyways, this year I feel like I'm a grown up. I'm working with small children who pretty much think I'm it. I mean every single day I have a small child walking up to me telling me that I'm going to make a great teacher, and that they love me. That means more to me than some adult walking up to me saying you're doing good. I am a teacher at Wonders of Wildlife, and even though I thought I might puke when the bird hocked something up, I kept my composure and BS'd my way through it. I'm very close to finishing this semester and coming up on my last semester of student teaching. I'm also planning a wedding, and I'll have to admit it makes me want to throw up. It is very stressful, and even though I've been thinking about this day since I can remember it doesn't come close to actually sitting down and crunching numbers.

I feel very alive right now. I am the happiest I have ever been. I'm 23.

OOOoooo Ahhhhh

Isn't it beautiful?

Engaged

This is a day I will remember for the rest of my life! Today I woke up just like every other normal day and went to work. I'm sick and barely have a voice, I come home and the apartment is SO clean, Colby and Jacob cleaned from a little get together we had this weekend. Colby told me that I had 30 minutes to get ready because we're going to go eat at a little Italian restaurant that we love.
I remembered a funny story and I was trying to explain it using Colby's hands and he accidentally hit me in the eye.. It'll probably be a little bruised in the morning.. Anyways, my eyes start watering and I go and get dressed to eat dinner.

The whole time during the meal its like any other time we've gone to eat dinner together: talking, laughing, me spilling things- the usual. On the car ride home we turn down a different road, and I asked him where we were going. He told me that he really didn't want to start on his paper that he had to get done tonight, and I said, "Oh, so we're procrastinating are we?" He said that it wasn't procrastinating that he wanted to spend more time with me. So we started talking about getting married and how there was this little park we had in mind. We drove around the park three times, and then pulled into a little rose garden that was across the street from it. He told me that he wanted to pick a rose for me, but that I needed to stay in the car because I was sick. I sat in the car laughing at him, because roses shouldn't be on the vine this time of year. He looks and looks and looks, and I'm still laughing. He comes back to the car, and hands me this tiny red bud and I grabbed it and was like, "Wow, how did you find this? That's so odd." while I was examining the rose bud, Colby drops to his knee... keep in mind that I'm still in my seat belt- I look over really quick because I thought he fell down...

Then he proposed. I have the most beautiful vintage engagement ring ever. It was hand made 80 years ago....It screams my name- my wicked cool fiance did a fantastic job.

WoW School

Today was a big day for me. I woke up really early took my shower and threw on my Wonders of Wildlife polo shirt. I taught two classes today- all on my own. It was really exciting. For the most part most of the students listened really well, but my second class was by far the best class out of the two. During the first class when I was talking about the falcon that was on my arm he started making this weird hacking sound and out came a really nasty green ball of shit. Well it wasn't really shit, it was bones and fur- but it was disgusting and even I caught myself being like the kids saying, "ewww! What is that?" I had no problems with the snake, however, during the second program I reached in the bag to get him and I guess my nail poked him because he jumped and then I jumped. I thought he was for sure going to bite me. He didn't though, I lived to tell about it.

Somehow during the first class we got off on the subject of king cobras instead of king snakes. One little boy piped up and asked me, "Do king cobras have red eyes?" I got another question like, " What happens when a king snake meets a queen snake?"

Aww...