marvelously forgetful

Ok guys, help me out. Who sings a song about "Walking in marvelous light" or something like that? Wow, I'm so specific. We sang it in church today, and I love it. Really want to know who sings it. I'll e-mail my worship pastor friend, see if he knows. Just thought I'd ask and see if anyone knew.
Church was so good today, I really enjoy it. We've been going with Mat's "friend" (he's really his boss, but he wants to just be Mat's friend!) on Sunday mornings, it's been really nice. I always feel so silly, tho, because they always make me sit in between them..... I guess it's the rose between the thorns, huh? :)

new job?

Ok, so here's some exciting news. I had a job interview on Thursday. Yeah, it was a suprise. I went in for an interview at Love INC on St. Patrick's Day (I remember because I didn't have anything "professional" enough for an interview that was green, according to my darling husband) and the interview didn't go too well. About half way thru, I think both me and the lady interviewing me realized I wasn't nearly qualified for the job, at all. She told me about something more clerical they'd be having come open in a few months, and she'd keep me in mind. Yeah, sure, I thought....blahblahblah, just something to tell me so that I didn't feel so losery..... And then Thursday morning she called me and we had an interview that afternoon, and the job is mine if I want it. It's a part time job, just 15 hours a week, so I'd have to stay at Murdoch's on the weekends, but the weekdays are totally flexible, they just need me there 3 or 4 hours a day, if I want a day off, I can just work more the day before or day after...... and it's things that I enjoy doing...filing and data entry and organizing and silly stuff like that..
The timing of this is totally great too, because Wednesday I was totally ready to walk out.... I'm so fed up with cashiering. And it seems like every other day, someone here calls me a "lifer"......I'M NOT A LIFER!!!!! Ok, done yelling about that. So, we'll see what I decide when Tuesday rolls around. I'm going to take the weekend to think and pray about it, and see where I'm at come Tuesday (Monday is our anniversary, I'll call her back on Tuesday!) :) So, that's that. Kinda exciting news, just something that came up so quickly, I'm still kinda reeling from it, not quite knowing what to think about it all...... I'm sure it'll all become clearer as the time goes on...... We'll see. (Ok, I'm going to say that about 50 more times....gheez!)
I get my braces off on Tuesday....... So Excited! :) no more brace face! :)

how fun!

just wanted to share some fun pictures with everyone! :)

monaco

So, my parents left yesterday for Monaco. I know, the title probably excited you to think we were going or something, but nope, just my parents. I'm really excited for them, they need a trip so badly. And a trip that they had to get passports for, no less! :) They were so excited at the airport, my dad couldn't stop talking! :) I'm just hoping the jet-lag doesn't kick their butts too badly! :)
So, since mom and dad are gone, Con is staying with us for a week. No, she's not my 12 year old sister, but rather my 18 year old sister. We had an incident a few years ago, and she just gets freaked out being home alone, so she's staying with us. Our first guest!! It's so much fun, I'm trying so hard to be such a good hostess, and Mat keeps saying "It's just your sister!" :) Oh well, I can enjoy guests when we have them, even if it is "just my sister!" :)
So, here's something new and exciting. I have started up an old friendship. I know, that doesn't make sense even in my head, but let me explain. I was good friends, best friends, with Cryssy in junior high, thru our sophomore year of high school. Then for reasons I can't even remember, we weren't friends anymore, she changed schools, moved away after high school, and I thought for sure I'd never hear from her again. Well, lo and behold, she goes to Journey, the church Mat and I have started going to. How strange is that? So, Cryssy and I have re-connected, and let me tell you what a blessing it's been to be spending time with her lately. It's been so great to have a new old friend. We have such a history, so many of the same memories, yet the past 6 years are still a mystery for each of us, since we lost touch for those last years. It's been so great to be friends with her again, such a blessing to my heart!! Just wanted to share that with you..... :) My little slice of joy in these past couple weeks.
I miss my Joy, my dear friend from Texas. I miss her tons. I'm hoping to fly out there for a few days this fall, but we'll see what happens with that. I'd love to make it out there and see her again. It's been nearly two years, and I need another Joy fix!! :(

'I have a bloated ass!"

Just one of the many stupid things that were said last night that, sadly enough, all four of us cracked up about. We got to hang out with Dave and Mysha, our long lost best friends who live 6 doors down from us, and it seems like we never see eachother. Look at them, who wouldn't want to hang out with them?!? ;) It's sad, I know that we all take for granted living so close to such great friends. Like now, as I'm using their computer (haha!) I don't even realize how much I'll miss this closeness and openness we share when we each buy houses not 6 doors down from eachother, unless something miraculous happens!! It's great living this close to your best friends, it's just something we need to not take so much for granted......
And off my soapbox! Last night was lots of fun. We went out for dinner, played pool and then poker (which I dominated!! hehe!) It was so much fun, we talked about serious things (mysha and I did, anyway, the guys, probably not so much!) and laughed about stupid stuff, like farting (and then locking us in the car!!) and couples colonics and edited rap songs. It was just so great to hang out with them again..... I've missed hanging out together!! They really are such a huge blessing to us. We can laugh and laugh and laugh about stupid things, like Mysha checking me out!, and at the same time, just have a really real and deep friendship. It's great, and it's even greater than Mysh and I have been friends for such a long time, since high school. It's not often that you find that, and keep it!!! Dave and Mysha, we love you!!! And your lovely little lumps! :)
And I love my dear husband. Less than a month until our anniversary, and I have no idea what to get him.... Hopefully today I can brainstorm and start coming up with something. I lpve being married, it rocks my face off. It's the best thing ever, probably second to kids? Would it really be second to kids, or maybe a tie with having kid and being a parent...... I don't know though. I'll have to ask my friends who are married and parents.... Heather? What do you think?
Ok, enough incessant rambling from me. Gotta get some graduation cards made......it's coming up fast!!!
Stay classy, SanDiego

The day is looking up

You'd think when you lock the keys in the car at 9:00 in the morning, the day can't possibly get worse from there. Luckily, today hasn't gotten worse. It's gotten better, nothing monumentally better, but better than the "locking-keys-in-the-car-getting-yelled-at-by-the-boss" morning I had!! :)
I moved into our new office this week Tuesday, it's pretty ok. We are going to paint and spruce it up a little bit, slap some paint on the walls and get some nice new shelves and make it a little nicer work environment. So, next week will be filled with moving desks again and painting, but I think it'll be fun.
I went and visited my friend Sarah, the other day. Sarah just had a baby girl, Hailey Pauline, on the 26th of March and I hadn't seen Hailey since the day she was born. It was so good to see the little peach fuzzed midget (her mother's words......not mine!!) She's a doll, with fuzzy dark hair, lots of smiles (and gas!! :) It was good to see her and Sarah too. I did her birth announcements, so I had to bring them out there and show Sarah, get approval :) and just hang out. It was the best day off I've had in a long time.....getting to hold a baby always makes them better!!
I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but since I mentioned the birth announcments, I may as well let you in on the news. I'm starting my own business. I'm starting a card making business. I know, exciting huh? Hailey's birth announcements were actually the first job I got, and it was a ton of fun!! I did a baby shower invitation/birth announcment for my friends co-workers, and I'm doing a friends wedding invitations for her wedding this summer. So, things are coming up that keep me busy. I just need to a) NAME MY BUSINESS (hardest thing I've had to do.......who'd have thought that naming your own business would be so difficult. I can name it whatever I want to....what's the hold up?!?!) and after I get a good name, I need to start marketing myself, selling individual cards at our farmer's market and other type settings like that. So, our summer is sure to be filled with businesss names flying all over the place, and cards and paper and glue.....Pray for Mat! :) Actually, pray for us both as we try and get this thing off the ground, that it would be successful and profitable, and enjoyable most of all. I'm really excited about the future and what will come of this idea. Keep me in mind if you know anyone having a baby, getting married, or in need of birthday party invitations! :) Or any potential business names?!?! :)
My dear friend Heather is having twins (hey, I should do her birth announcments, huh? :) soon here, and I just love being able to keep in touch with her over blogs...... What did we do without the internet and digital cameras?!?! I love you Heath!!
That better be all for now...... I gotta get back to work and be productive! Blah!!
Happy weekend, all!

Shawn McDonald is pretty much the best new Christian singer ever. We just got his new cd, RIPEN the other day, and it pretty much rocks my world. I just love his songs. They are some of the few songs that I can worship to even if I don't neccesarily know the words. You know? I have a hard time really entering into worship with songs that I don't know the words to. It's getting easier for me, and it's easier at church when the words are up there, but still, it's hard for me. But, Shawn McDonald's music is so great, just beautiful and uplifting and calming all at the same time. It's a foot-tappin good time!

Hey, we found a new church!! I don't know that we were neccesarily looking actively, since Mat always has to work on Sunday's, but he's had the last 5 or so Sunday's off, and since I can go into work whenever, we've been able to go the church together. I never really realized how much I take that for granted, being able to go to church together on a consistent basis. It is so good to share in church together. So, anyway, back to the new church. We've been going to Journey Church now for four weeks, only skipped last week because I was dying. (of a cold!) Mat had gone with his boss a couple times on Saturday nights, but since I'm slaving away on Saturday nights, we hadn't been able to go together until about a month ago, and it's been great!! I love it so much. And it's such a blessing to find a church that we both like, that has amazing worship and really good teaching. And, to make it better, they serve coffee, chai, and hot chocolate in the lobby before church!! :) But seriously, it's been amazing. The teaching the last couple weeks has been about how faith in God has to be Uphill, always progressing and growing, but also not always easy work. It's been really challenging for me to hear exhortation and encouragement like that. Today he talked about Paul's quest to finish strong. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have remained faithful" It was really great, a good kick in the butt for me to examine my own life and really ask myself if I'm running the good race and fighting the good fight. Am I really being faithful in my.... faith? Will I finish strong? Am I living strong right now? It will be a good week when it starts out so thought-provoking and serious like that. And, I'm just starting to read Blue Like Jazz solely because I've heard such good things about it. I'm really excited to read that, to get back into the Christian non-fiction. So, it should be a good week. I'm really excited for what the week holds! And to listen to more Shawn McDonald!

I really didn't die!!

Better late than never, I always say. The month of February just flew by, really. Not that I was any busier than normal, just doing the same old stuff, working and, sadly, that's about it. It's just hard when you don't have Internet at home and you have to rely on using it at work, which is always reliable. Anyway, the countdown is on. One week until I can eat whatever the heck I feel like. The day will be great, Eggs Benedict in the morning, and a big old Fuddruckers hamburger in the afternoon. I'm so excited, I can almost taste it!! :) And later that week, I get my new glasses, it'll be an exciting week. I'm really sad that I have nothing else exciting to say, I'm such a boring person. To the one person who actually reads my blog--you rock!

this is my beautiful mother and my hottie of a sister the night before my surgery. we ate at olive garden, a last meal of sorts. it was so much fun, hanging out and laughing with my mom and sister. such a great time. i made them promise to not talk about my surgery, since i was so freakin scared. it was good. they didn't break their promise too much! :) more post surgery pictures to follow soon, I promise!!

Home again, even at work!!

So, I've been home now for a little over a week. It's been so good to be home. I slept better last Friday than I did the whole two weeks before that, or the whole week since. There's just something about being home, in your own bed, with your husband, that just lets you sleep better. It's nice to be home, and to kinda be a stay at home wife. :) I just came back to work yesterday, just a couple hours in the afternoon. It's good to be back, good to get some sort of routine back into my life. My swelling has gone down even since I've been home, still a little swollen on my cheeks and chin, but, looking at the pictures I got back from Costco, I've made so much progress!! I've only lost about 10lbs, I'm just about sick of this liquid diet!! But doesn't that smoothie look delish?!?! ;) One more week, and then I can graduate to soft foods..... just like a baby! :) And another month on that, and I'm back to normal. Not that I'll run right out and get a big burger or a steak (as much as I'm craving one right now!!!) but it'll be nice to be able to chew. The little things we take for granted, eh?
Thanks to everyone for the cards and calls and prayers and flowers and all that fun stuff. It's been such a blessing to have all my friends and family, and Mat's family, really rally around me. I can totally feel all the prayers and thoughts...... I couldn't have done it without you all!! I love you!! I hope to be getting some pictures scanned and put on here tomorrow, I can't make any promises, but I'll try my best!!
Go Seahawks!!!

swollen in lincoln

Kinda like sleepless in Seattle, but kinda not. I'm here, doing pretty well, recovering slowly but surely. They released me from the hospital on Thursday, which was so nice, to be done there and not have nurses every six seconds checking something else, no IV's, no dinging and annoying-ness....... It's so nice to be chilling at the Holiday Inn now. I can sleep whenever and be up whenever, and do everything with both hands!! :) I'm sure my mother is bored out of her mind. Yesterday I had a doctors appointment, and I made it through that and getting soup for lunch, and I was beat. We stayed in our beds for the rest of the night....what bums!!! I just need to remember that I just had surgery on Monday, major 6 hour surgery at that, so I need to not work myself too hard. But, I just want to get better and go home!!! I miss my husband so much!
I hope to post pictures when I get back, I've been taking pictures pretty much daily so everyone can see the progress I've been making. Hopefully I can get a copy of my new x-ray too, it's pretty sweet to see the plates and screws the put up in there. That's about all I have to report. Just wanted to touch base this way and let everyone know that I'm doing well, recovering and resting as much as I can. I'm restricted to a liquid diet, so it's been interesting to see what all we can make liquid without it being too gross. It'll only get better once I get home and have a blender and my creative husband!! Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers, I appreciate them so so much!! Also, PTL, my mom was able to change her flight, so she's coming home on Monday with me, which will be awesome to have her with me the whole time. Yay! Thanks for everything, friends!!

room 224

Hey everyone, carly here. just updating you on our progress so far. it's been a good time, hanging out with my mom and sister in lincoln.....nebraska has no idea what's hit it! :) i'm having a ball, and today will only get better!! We are going shopping today, and tomorrow probably, it should be a good time. I met with the surgeon yesterday, it was great. He is very competant, I really feel confident in his abilities. He did four surgery's in the days between Christmas and New Years.....I think he would be able to do it with his eyes closed. He's pretty awesome. I'll be in the hospital for two to four days and on a liquid diet for four weeks. Mat's already offered to put Taco Bell in a blender for me....no thank you! And, I have a Care Bear given to me by my three year old cousin, Chloe. Well, given to me for the time while I'm in Nebraska..... I have to give it back...... but it's the thought that counts. Funshine Bear will be by my side while I'm in the hospital and recovering, and I'll think of Chloe everytime I look at him....she's such a sweetheart.
My sisters belt broke when we arrived at the hotel, and she's been sobbing about it the whole time. So, today is a mission to find her a new belt.....wahoo. It's gonna be a good time, having some girl time that is way over due. It'll be a great time, such a good thing to keep my mind off things for the next two days. And stopping at Walgreens and getting a years worth of milkshakes and juice and things I can drink.....that'll be interesting. Anyway, that's about all I have to report from Nebraska. Pray that the gymnastics team in the room above us decides to go to bed earlier tonite than they did last night... :)

i'm terrible

i'm sorry i've been such a slacker lately. Work had been super slammed with Christmas, so there was not time to update this silly thing. But, now's my day off, so here goes. Christmas was wonderful. A very busy time, but also a very blessed time. I prefer to think of ourselves as blessed rather than spoiled, although in this context they are pretty similar. We are very spoiled, but blessed to has so much family in such a small area, geographically speaking. When I think about how many Christmas celebrations we had, it's astounding. We had six or seven, just with our respective families. It truly is a blessing to have so many people we love so much so near by! New Years was calm compared to christmas, we just had a date, just the two of us, and went back home and watched the ball drop. Mat had to work New Years day, at 7, so we didn't want to get too rowdy! :) And the last couple days have been nice for me, seeing as work has slowed down to a near crawl, so I'm not as insanely busy anymore. And I've had the last two days off! :) Today Mat and I had the day off, we just lazed around, slept in, worked out, and currently he's taking a nap. I'm trying to get the house cleaned and laundry done before my big trip. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that slight piece on information....... I got a surgery date!!! That happened a couple days before Christmas, what a wonderful Christmas present. I'm having surgery on the 16th of January in Lincoln Nebraska.....wahoo!! (that's partially a sarcastic wahoo, seeing as how i have to spend two weeks away from my husband, in Nebraska......but it's mostly an excited wahoo, seeing as how I'm almost done with this whole ordeal!) I'm so excited to be done, but scared out of my mind!!! Keep me in your prayers, as my mind has been going crazy, especially at night when I should be sleeping...... I know everything will be fine, I'm just still so nervous! My mom, sister and I leave on the 13th (friday the 13th.....yikes!) and I'll be gone for two weeks. Mom and Con can't stay the whole two weeks, but mom will be there for 10 days, so I'll only have a couple days alone. It'll be all good.
Ok, that's the update. I gotta go get the laundry. Seems like I'm always doing laundry and blogging......hmmm.......
bye!

i apologize

it's amazing what corona does to an empty stomach! i'm sorry for that last post. it's amazing, i had the sound mind to log on and blog and it made as much sense as it did! wow, i am just amazing! :) (and mysha, thanks for walking me home after my husband abandoned me! :) i love you!!)
nothing new here, just wanted to rub it in to everyone reading this that we are in fact finished christmas shopping, and, to top it all off.....it's all wrapped!! i know, again, truly amazing! what can i say? wow, what a pile of loot, eh? if you are lucky enough, some of it may be for you! :) haha!

tonite was fun

tonitewas fun, we playeed poker with some friends, my best friends, actually. mat won, but we stuck around and talked for hours,. it was lots of fun, lots of corona and all sortsa fun stuff. skiing talk and fun. i like poker, too bad i'm not beter at it than i am. i wish i was better at poker, but im' not. i just guess i need to practice. they just need to invite us iver more often, i guess. ahhhh, jesse mcartney on launchcast. time to go home! byue!!!!

"you aren't braceface, you're metal mouth"

Those are the words of consolation my husband gave me Monday after I got my full mouth braces on. What a loving husband I have, huh? You all wish he was your's don't you? ;) He really is a great guy, he just hit a sensitive cord with me that day. In preparation for my upcoming surgery, I had to get my braces on again. Yes, again, second time around. I'm already over it. I just have to keep picturing the end result, what my mouth will be after surgery. But, it doesn't make the canker sores any less painful!!! It's nice that we are progressing in the direction of surgery faster than we have the preceeding three years. But, it's painful!! :( Hopefully I'll at least lose some weight on my soup and ramen diet! :)

what a day

Actually, today is going much better than yesterday, although I have spent all day today fixing problems from yesterday. Yesterday, between the terrible roads and weather to begin with, our power went out at work, not once, but twice. That's right, completely out. No lights, no computers, no theft detectors, no nothing. We had to go back way old school and write down sales by hand. It was great fun. We had all the cashiers writing sales out by hand, plus two people posted at each door for security. And the thing that blows my mind, is that customers continued to come in and shop, even tho we were greeting them at the door letting them know we had no power. It's just mind boggling.....what is that important that you need to shop in the pitch black dark?!?! I don't understand it!!
I was in my office when it happened, counting the deposit, minding my own business..... And there are no windows in my office. So, the power goes out and I have to blindly reach for the money, put it in the safe, lock the change box, find my way out of my dark office, and hang out for almost three hours for the power to come back on......and stay on. So, needless to say, today has been so exciting, I can hardly stand it. No catching up on filing or anything like that, just fixing things from yesterday. It's terrible. But, I'm all caught up now, and almost ready to be done for the day. Which means I get to drive home in the hellacious snow and ice we are having!!!! As long as I live here, I'll never get used to the weather. We probably have a good foot of snow, the roads are slushy, it's still snowing, and it's just wonderful!!! I love montana weather!!! :D
http://cateye.msu.montana.edu/ kinda a cool link for MSU's webcam, shows you just how much snow we indeed do have! :)
peace out, napoleon

go cats!!

105th meeting of the Cats and Griz. We sucked last week, it's a shame. If we would have won against Eastern Washington, we could win the championship today. Unfortunately, we didn't, but at least we can still beat the Griz! And now our fans are throwing beer bottles on the field!! Some people's kids. What are we going to do? As you can tell, I'm very motivated to work today! :) Actually, I have a ton of filing to do, just wanted to cheer on our Cats as the game nears the finish, and we are still in the lead! ::fingers crossed:: Let's keep it up!!

www.msubobcats.com

home again, home again, jiggety jog

and just like that, we are home again. It seems like the time before vacation drags by so slowly, vacation speeds by like nothing else, and all you are left with is a pile of laundry the size of a small country!! At least that is what I have left. And of course, the memories of the great times spent with friends and family while in Washington.
Quick recap of our vacation, more to follow when I have more time between laundry loads! Friday we drove to Spokane Wa so see the Lion King. It was great, even better than I expected. For anyone who has seen it, you know what I'm talking about. And for those of you who haven't seen it, don't let the opportunity pass you by!! It was spectacular, so many talented people who made it possible. Mind boggling!!
Saturday morning we headed out to Seattle, inadvertantly on highway 2, which worked out well as we missed most of the snow and rock slides. It was a nice drive, and we rounded out the evening at my great uncle and aunt's house for dinner. It was so good to see them again and snitch candy out of their dish! :)
Sunday, after waking up in our amazing--free--hotel room, we had a nice, big, energizing breakfast. We were going to need it......we were headed to the football game! We got to the stadium, and as we were finding our seats, Mat realized what an awesome wife he has when he saw how close our seats were. They were awesome, not even the rain falling steadily through out the second half could change our minds!! Mat's good friend from home, Nicole, came and sat with us for the last half, and then we went to dinner with her, all three of us looking like drowned rats!! It was fun to catch up with her and hear all about her wedding plans.
Monday was our day to prepare for the next two whirlwind days ahead. We spent time downtown, checking out the shops and market, indulging in Ivars (surrounded by menacing pigeons!) and walking around the space needle. We then met up with some of my YWAM friends for dinner, it was so great to see them again too. It would have been even better if Phil hadn't stood us up to play dodgeball, but it really helped me to see where his priorities are. Pray for him to see the light! ;)
After dinner, (and stopping by Phil and Amy's house on the way!) we drove up to Burlington to see some of our good friends from home. Chad and Becky, it was so good to see you!!! We stayed the night with them and spent the next day with them, seeing where they live and shopping (of course!) That night, we drove up to Vancouver BC (I can say I left the country on my vacation!!) to see my small group leader from DTS and her husband. I hadn't seen Heather for almost three years, so it was great to catch up, compare diamonds ;) and get acquainted with eachothers husbands. It was definitely worth the drive, and getting lost!, to see her again!!! We headed for home the next day, and drove and drove and drove. And now, the buzzer on the dryer calls. More later~

Lion King and Seahawks

So, the weekend is past. That much closer to VACATION! :) Friday will be the Lion King on Broadway, altho not the real Broadway, It'll be the Lion King in Spokane's Broadway. It should be interesting. Our tickets were a Christmas present last Christmas from Mat's dad and step-mom. So, it'll be Mat and I, Mat's sister, Katie, Dad and Coleen, the step-sisters-in-law (wow, what a title!) Megan and Morgan, and Coleen's parents and brother. It'll be a pretty good time. I'm really looking forward to the show. I've heard such good things about it! I'm psyched!
Then, after Spokane, it's on to Seattle for the Seahawks game. I got Mat Seahawks tickets for our anniversary......How cool of a wife am I?!?! :) I'm really excited.
Our time in Seattle will be really good. In addition to seeing a bunch of DTS folks, we will get to spend some time with one of our good friends from Bozeman who just recently moved out to Seattle and just recently got engaged!! (any good engagement present ideas anyone???) She's actually coming to the football game with us. And if it couldn't get any better, we get to see my dear DTS small group leader and her hubby. They just found out they are having a baby, what an exciting time in their life to get to visit!! I'm so excited.
Now, I just have to stop thinking about it and get to work.....Yay, numbers to input, papers to file.....I can hardly contain my excitement! :)