Thankful

Things around here have been somewhat hectic lately, lots of changes going on. And in the midst of it all, I found myself becoming overwhelmed and even a little depressed. I am planning on going back to school next fall, which is so exciting because I'm finally pursing what I really want to do, teaching English to college students. However, as those of you who know me best are familiar:), change, although welcome, scares me!! So I found myself feeling a bit down and losing perspective. Luckily, I have a friendly reminder named Dave that never lets me forget, even for a second, how lucky I am. So...I have come up with a plan of action! Gratitude journal..I know Oprah did it so it's totally cliche...but I LOVE IT! It's a fantastic thing to do if you feel like you're losing your grip on all the blessings in your life. In celebration of being grateful...here's a few things to be happy about: Having an unfortunate knack for approaching a set of double doors and always pushing the locked one, candied apples, tents, cheek-to-cheek dancing and being devoted to something outside yourself.

Thanks Aunt Anne!

For giving me an excuse to update my blog:)

10 Years Ago I was:
1. Sixteen years old!!! YIKES
2. Still taking dance
3. A sophomore at St. Joe
4. Wearing braces...yuck!
5.

5 Things on today's to-do list
1. STUDY, STUDY, STUDY for my GRE
2. Grocery shopping
3. Clean bathrooms
4. Clean the kitchen
5. Realize how boring my life is:) hehe

5 snacks I enjoy
1. Chips
2. Poptarts
3. Animal crackers
4. Cupcakes
5. Guacamole

5 things I'd do if I were a millionaire
1. Give a portion to charity
2. Make sure my family never had to worry about money again
3. Buy LOTS of purses
4. Finish all the things I'd like done around our house
5. Buy a new car

5 places I've lived
1. Chesterfield, MO
2. Dayton, OH
3. St. Louis City
4. Florence, Italy
5. I've only lived in 4 places!

5 jobs I've had
1. Dance teacher
2. Camp counselor
3. Babysitter
4. Temp
5. Marketing

I'm back!!

Yeah, yeah, I know...I am forever getting behind on blogs. But because my life is pretty much work, then sleep I don't have anything incredibly exciting to blog about:)
We recently took a trip to the Lake over 4th of July weekend with Greg, Megan, my parents and my sister. SOOOO much fun! Lots of food, boat time and trying to avoid swallowing lake water for fear of E-Coli, hehehe....Anyway, we had a fabulous time and can't wait to get down to the Lake again while it's still summer.
In other news, I am on the look-out for a new job. NSI has been amazing, and I really do enjoy what I do. I am, however, feeling like now is the time for me to move on and see what else I am capable of in this industry. Keep fingers crossed that the renewed job search is successful:)
The picture I'm posting on this blog is completely unrelated, but still quite exciting...WE HAVE HAD A BREAKTHROUGH!!! Dave actually held some else's child...I know, I can hardly believe it either! He's holding Jamie and Morgan's adorable son, J David. He's the only kid Dave will hold. Why, I'm not quite sure, but we'll take what we can get:)

Catch Up

So much has happened since I last wrote...first off, I received a long-anticipated promotion at work, which was very exciting!
I am now officially the Senior Account Coordinator of Operations for Suzuki. Sounds waaay more impressive than it is:) Tons of new responsibilities and adjusting to a new team role have kept me at work very late the past two weeks. But things are finally starting to really fall into place and hopefully it will be smooth sailing from here on out!
In other news, we have a new member in our small group! Grady Allen was born on Friday and is doing well. Heather and Jeff are the proud parents and I know how excited everyone is for them! We also have a new member in the family...Courtney and Tm Dolan just welcomed a third little girl to the family, Paige. She has two older sisters, Lauren and Sydney (the twins). I haven't had a chance to meet her yet, but from her pictures, she's absolutely beautiful.
I got a chance to get away for a bit this weekend. I made a trip to the Lake with my parents and the McCoy's. Unfortunately, Dave couldn't make it:( He not only had to work on Saturday, but he was also watching Lola (lucky Dave). We did tons of shopping and took some great boat rides. Banana Republic has a fabulous store at the outlet mall now and the deals are unbelievable!
Well, that's all for now...

Ireland!!

As many of you know, Dave and I recently returned from an incredible trip to Ireland. We got extremely lucky and everything fell into place perfectly to allow us to venture off to the Emerald Isle!!
Our first stop was Dublin. We stayed for two days (without luggage) and got to see most of the city. Of course, we visited the Guinness Brewhouse and Jameson Distillery and several pubs! Dublin itself is much like other European cities we’ve visited. The most noticeable difference, however, are the people themselves. The Irish are known for their love of conversation, and they did not disappoint. No matter who you are, where you’re from they want to know everything about you and your life. In such a large city, it was nice to have people treating you so warmly.
Next up…the Irish countryside! Dave and I did a very brave thing, and rented a car. Although I did have a few reservations at first, driving really is the best way to see Ireland. We did very well considering the very narrow roads and ridiculously high speeds and got through the whole trip in one piece! We went through several villages, and a few big cities. The Blarney Castle was one really cool place we got to see. We even kissed the stone. Cork City, Kilkenny, Kilarney and Kenmare were just a few of the villages we stopped in. The landscape of the country is like every picture and movie you’ve ever seen of Ireland. I found myself taking pictures and being disappointed because there is no way you can convey what it’s like there through such a small thing.
Since we’ve returned, several people have asked us if we liked this trip better than the others we’ve taken. My answer: It’s a completely different kind of place from all the other ones I’ve been to. The Irish people really do make all the difference. They make you feel like you never left home in the first place.
The trip was amazing. Dave and I cannot wait to get back and see all the things we missed this time around. Here are some pics from the trip…Enjoy!!

The Countdown Begins!!!

So, a month from Thursday Dave and I leave for our big trip to the Mother Land!! AKA Ireland.
We are beyond excited! However, I did get some interesting news from my lovely husband today.
Apparently, I will be the designated driver while we're there...you may be thinking, "oh no big deal!"
This is a very big deal!! I have to drive not only on the wrong side of the road, but on the wrong side
of the car as well. Did I mention that Dublin is also the second worst city in Europe to drive in?? Yeah,
this could get very interesting. Since I'm driving Dave will be the self-proclaimed "navigator". So one of
two things will happen: A) We will be involved in a car accident because I will be driving on the wrong side
of the road or B) I will get us out of Dublin alive, but Dave will get us lost on some country road in the middle
of nowhere. Either way, it will make for a very interesting trip and some great stories to share when we come home.
I'm putting up some pictures of things we plan on seeing and places we'll be.
Anyone have any crazy vacation stories to share?? I bet ours will beat them once we get back from this one:)