Say what?!

The other day I was in for my annual ladies Dr. appt. There was a form I had to fill out about what kind of meds I take, medical history, if I'm planning on having a baby soon, etc. Of course I checked the "no" box for planning on having a baby. Then when I finally was in the actual appointment she asked me about the baby thing. I said "oh, we want to start next May or something." I said it very casually. She said very adamantly, "Oh, you're planning a baby then!"

She then proceeded to tell me everything that I must do to "get ready" (prepare my body) to have a baby. I then had a very surreal experience. I floated out of my body and kind of just looked down on me from above. She handed me all sorts of things about planning a baby. She even told me what pre-natal vitamins to get. This was all too weird for me. I'm not even married yet! I couldn't wait to tell Jim!

After I left, it really dawned on me. We are trying for a baby in less than a year away. And I smiled. I can't wait to start a family with Jim. And when I told Jim he said I think we should try sooner! Go figure!

two more weeks two more weeks two more weeks

I keep chanting that little diddy to myself. First it was 8 more weeks 8 more weeks 8 more weeks and it has progressively shrunken over the weeks. What this diddy means to me is that in two more weeks I will be done with "classroom" school forever. I'm at the point of no return in which I DETEST SCHOOL WITH A PASSION. I'm glad it happened my last quarter and not my first quarter or else I would have never survived. I am taking three classes this quarter and I hate hate hate one of them (the worst I've ever had in my grad. school experience including the teacher), like one of them but find it tedious but at least the teacher is nice, and love love love one of them including my favorite teacher (Law & Ethics I love you). My teachers know there is something wrong with me this quarter. I go to class with literally a grimace on my face and make annoying noises under my breath and roll my eyes a lot, it's as if I was in high school again. I'm just so done. Unfortunately, all my classes have seemed to save all the assignments for the very very end and packed a lot in at the very end so I find myself with a gazillion papers and presentations. I can handle the papers but what I hate more than ever is group presentations. Here at Seattle U, and I rarely criticize it, they tend to do a lot of this and it is something I consistently rate them on. My advisor told me that if you are sick of school then you are ready for internship. Oh yes, bring it on and NOW please. I start in three weeks. It's about f-r-e-a-k-i-n' time already.

It's real

It was a good mail day today. I received a check in the mail from some random thing, I received Better Homes and Garden Magazine and lastly Jim and I received our first wedding gift. There was this giant box from Target and I tried to remember what I had ordered but low and behold I had not ordered anything. It was a wedding gift! I opened the box up and in it was a beautifully wrapped package from some old friends of the family. Now I don't know what to do with it. Do we open it now? Do we wait until the wedding? And if I open it now when do I send the thank you card? I know what Martha would say but what do you say? Do we open it? What I do know is that this wedding is really happening and SOON!

Gotta love this kids creativity

I saw this on fail blog and thought it was so awesome!

Book Stamps and Senator Kennedy

I love reading. I love libraries. I love staying up late in my bed reading with my head lamp on. I am currently taking a literacy class and just read a chapter that made me want to jump out of my chair and write this blog. I've always been an avid reader. I loved the babysitter club series growing up and Amelia Bedelia before that.

I was amazed to read that the average middle income family has about 199 children books at home and the average middle income school holds about 392 in each individual classroom. Compare that to lower income families where there are just 2.6 children books in the average home and 54 children books in the average classroom. Contrast that with the lowest income home with just .4 books for kids at home and just 47 books in the classroom. This is absolutely ridiculous! I found this hard to swallow! I can't imagine not having books in the home. Heck, Jim and I's favorite date nights are going to half price books or Barnes and Knoble.

I then remembered legislation that Senator Kennedy was working on. He had introduced federal legislation that would have provided children from low-income families with books stamps to exchange for books at book fairs and bookstores. This effort, which was modeled after the federal Food Stamp program, unfortunately was not funded. Can you imagine allowing children from low SES backgrounds to be able to "purchase" books. What an incredibly awesome idea! I'm going to see where this legislation is at and see if I can't support it in some way.

Kids not only need to read a lot, but they also need lots of books they can read accurately, fluently, and with comprehension right at their fingertips! They also need access to books that entice them, attract them to reading be it Junie B. Jones to Captain Underpants to Harry Potter to the Twilight series!

Preparations

So things are well underway in the land of wedding planning bliss. Bliss probably isn't the exact word I would use here...maybe something more along the lines of "chaos personified" works better. Once the invites go out I will be feeling much better. BUt to get that done there have been many little pieces to them. I have been scouring the ads of late using every coupon I could possible convince the cashiers to use. Next on my list for invites are custom made stamps and ordering of the other half of the pictures. Breathe. However they are slotted to be sent out on the day I move into Jim and my new place. So packing, moving, taking three tough classes, working out with a trainer, and planning a wedding have been a little taxing as of late. Plus this hot weather makes me want not to do anything at all. My body has been waking up (read-WIDE AWAKE) at about 5am or so, so I'm going on about roughly 4-5 hours of sleep a night which my body isn't handling well (read-summer cold/horrid sore throat). Plus a horrible sun burn was blessed upon my body when I procrastinated homework and went to the lake with family for two hours. Really that was my fault though, due to me not applying sun screen.

Nightmare Wedding

This morning I awoke from a terrible nightmare about my wedding. The wedding was thrown together. Mom was running late and her and I both had to go pick up and move all this furniture and cookware. It was like a hurricane had hit the location and we were piecing together the building along with trying to cook. It looked familiarly like an lds church gym. Then I hadn't told anyone where to sit, had no wedding favors to give, and hadn't even done the guest book. It was a nightmare. Then for entertainment we decided to put on a play for everyone, a bizarre one at that which had aliens and dragons and the "dragon slayer" aka Coach from the reality TV show Survivor as one of the main characters. There was also talk in the play of ovaries. It was horrid. Then as we moved to the reception my mom and me were locked in a turquoise yucky bathroom (looked very much like my sister's bathroom in her basement apartment in the U-district) fighting the entire time and I kept thinking, i'm supposed to be happy. Oh and did I mention there was no Jim anywhere to be seen.

98 days and totally counting!

I just looked at my wedding counter on my blog and it informed me that I have 98 days until I get married. WOW. It has slowly crept up on us. We still have tons to do. I feel we haven't even scratched the surface in the way of what all needs to get done. I have all the ideas just now need to start implementing them!

What I'm Coveting Now...

Toledo Stool
I've wanted this King Louis Ghost Chair FOREVER. FOREVER. At least the price has gone waaaay down.


This one can come with a variety of different fabrics to choose from

FIFA WORLD CUP FEVER

I've got the fever. I find myself watching every game saying out loud "oh, he's hot," "Oh, he's hotter." So maybe I'm watching it for the wrong reasons but seriously it doesn't get any hotter!

Birthday Trivia

Since it is my birthday today I thought I would throw out a little trivia for you all. Personally I did not look all this up but my radio station wishing me a happy birthday did! Did you know...

Here is a little birthday trivia for you...


* More people celebrate their birthdays in August than in any other month. The two other months in which birthday rates are high is July and September.

* Close to two billion Birthday Cards are sent each year in the U.S. alone, accounting for nearly 58 percent of all cards sent.

* The world's largest birthday cake was created in 1989 it weighed 128,238 pounds, 8 oz. and used 16,209 pounds of icing.

* The most common birth date is October 5 and the least common is May 22 in U.S.A.

* Paul McCartney's Birth Certificate was auctioned in March 1997, for US $84,146. It is believed to be the world's most expensive Birth Certificate.

My first Meme

1. What's on your nightstand? my sleep machine, The Book of Mormon, Cartea Lui Mormon, a book on Shakespeare by Bill Bryson, and a watercolor that my practically grandma painted who has since past away.

2. If you could eat only one thing for lunch for the rest of your life, what would it be? grilled cheese sandwich and macaroni and cheese

3. What is your middle name? Ann. The End.

4. If you could win a shopping spree in any store, which store would you choose? Target. Need I say more?

5. What word or phrase do you use most frequently? I really have no idea the answer to this. It used to be "I'm not going to lie," but it has since changed.

6. What's the last thing you purchased? The book letters to Juliet and a swimsuit and cover up.

7. If you could have a different career, what would it be? Photographer or Interior Designer

8. When you get too stressed out, what do you do to relax and calm down? I'm working very hard on this one. I teach students to take Dragon Breaths and lately I have taken some of my own advice. Do you know 132 toxins are released into our body when we are stressed so we need to do something to have it go somewhere and release it from our body. I'm working harder on this one ie: exercise. Usually Jim calms me down in a matter of minutes or he lets me cry it out too.

9. What's the most recent thing you bookmarked on the internet? The Han Dynasty Discovery. I was looking for a type of relic that the Chinese keep in their graves to keep them company, I want one for my house.

10. What are you most looking forward to during the next two months? MONTANA with the Little Truckers. I leave for the airport in T minus 2 hours if their flights arrive on time.

Letters to Juliet-The Book

Juliet. She’s one-half of the world’s most famous couple, whose enduring legend draws millions of visitors to Verona every year. But that’s only part of the story. Since the 1930s, Juliet has received an untold number of letters from writers all over the world. Most of the missives talk of love, of course—love found and love lost, love sought and love remembered. They may be written by teenagers in the throes of a first crush or struggling with parental censure. They may be from adults celebrating a hard-won love or wrestling with commitment. They come by the truckload, in almost every imaginable language—composed on ornate stationery, scrawled on loose-leaf, or scribbled on whatever scraps were handy. Frequently addressed simply, “Juliet, Verona,” all of these letters reach their destination and, amazingly enough, all of them receive an answer.

Letters to Juliet is the story of these letters and the volunteers who have been answering them for more than 70 years—volunteers who first acted privately, and who are now sanctioned by the city of Verona to answer thousands of letters each year as part of the Juliet Club. Complete with selected letters, this romantic and poetic book also contains the history behind Shakespeare’s tale and the monuments that fuel the legend. Utterly unique and magical, Letters to Juliet is perfect for anyone who’s ever felt the pangs of love. (this review taken off of Amazon.com)

I have been to fair Verona and have seen the detailed scribbles of love lost and found. The greatest love story ever told? I'm not sure about that because as we all know they both end up dead over a miscommunication. But I would say, as Bridget Jones would say, the top ten at least!

What I'm Coveting Now x 2

I'm sorry if the title of this annoys you or is seems um what's the word...sacreligous. I just want a lot of things and it is a way for me to remember what I want! That being said here are the latest items that has inspired me! How is it I could find something I wanted to own everyday of the year!

fly free necklace found at http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/ I also love their family tree necklace!

the perfect inspiration for living everyday to the fullest.

Second
The book Letter to Juliet-I saw the movie-enjoyed it what with beautiful vistas of Italy. I just never knew the story before! I have been to Verona and didn't even know they did that with the letters (I won't spoil the movie for you)!

Pop's Sicles

I've probably said this before but I love popsicles. Especially the red, white, and blue "rocket pops." The other day I recently saw an ice-cream truck driving around a neighborhood waiting for kids to get out of school blasting the song "pop goes the weasel." I had to immediately stop my car and get me a popsicle. Maybe I'm wanting summer to be here sooner rather than later, or maybe I am really deficient in Vitamin D at the moment (where are you sunshine?). Either way, I crave popsicles year round.

So here are some interesting facts about the lovely low-fat treat.

1. In 1905, 11 yr. old Frank Epperson left a cup filled with powdered soda, water, and a stirring stick on his San Francisco porch. That night temperatures froze and a summetime staple was born.

2. Two billion popsicles are sold every year.

3. 1923-Originally it was called the "Epsicle," but his children called it Pop's 'sicle. The name officially changes and two years later he partners with Joe Lowe Company, which then distributed the treats around the country.


4. 1939-The brand introduces Popsicle Pete, the boy mascot, for the next five decades. Yeah he's a bit creepy, not going to lie.


5. 1986-The company retires its two-stick variety (first sold during the Great Depression for a nickel) on the advice of moms, who deem it too messy. Remember having to use the corner of the counter to "break" the popsicle in half?

6. 2010-Plants are in Nevada, Maryland, and Missouri. I would love to tour a plant!

7. Cherry is the most popular flavor!


What is your favorite flavor? I love banana, cherry, and orange!

Hope

Lately I have been studying about hope as I've been feeling hopeless regarding certain issues in my life and hopeful about others. I came across this post card on postsecret and I liked it. It's about hope.

What I'm Coveting Now

Has anyone heard of Ballard Designs? I've loved a lot of their stuff for years. We are talking since high school when I ordered little eiffel tower pushpins from there. So low and behold a catalog came to me in the mail the other day and I found a lost friend in Ballard Designs. Only available through their website or catalog. So I found this gem. And since I lived in London it seemed fitting. For those who love Paris, they also have one with street names from Paris. I wish they had brown and white but I'll take it nonetheless!

The Wedding Dress has Arrived

Woo-Hoo! It was supposed to arrive in July but it is here early! And I must say I need to lose some weight and quick. Funny story-I tried on the balero jacket today and I knew it was going to be snug but um...i got stuck...for about 35 minutes cuz I was by myself. And the balero jacket is short in the back and I couldn't reach it to pull on it. It was a funny, sad, and a hectic event. So um, Weight Watchers is back on track again. I've lost another 2 pounds...How do I lose fat in my arms the quickest?

What I'm Coveting Now

Let's face it folks I have been oogling this for years. I am so not kidding here. I. AM. IN.LOVE.WITH.THIS.SERIES. I think it is actually real. In fact the other day I referred to President Bartlet as if he was real. I'm pathetic.

What I'm Coveting Now: 2

Can't you just see my "French Market Caddy" filled with wood, delicate rolls of wrapping paper or simply baguettes? I can. Hence the coveting. It can be found on wisteria.com. Love it!