Memorial Weekend

Once again...sorry for the lack of updates...it's been crazy busy with me!

This weekend was the absolute best though. I had such an amazing time and it was filled with the things that matter the most...family and friends. It was seriously some of the most fun I've had in a long time.

But what did I do? :D Let me get to that.

Friday:

I got off work and called Olivia who was in town this weekend from Texas (remember, she's the one training in the Army). She told me that she was on her way to Steak n' Shake and to meet her there.

It was so amazing seeing her again! I've missed her so much and it's so amazing how all my friends and I can not see each other for so long and pick right back up where we left off. That's true friendship right there.

It was a motley crew of us at Steak n' Shake. Olivia, Dad (her dad), Leslie, Dan, Mom (Leslie's mom), and WHF ended up coming just as the food was being served. We had such a blast just catching up. I loved being involved in this b/c so often I'm not able to be involved in "family" type stuff.

After dinner, we went back to Leslie's Mom's house. Where we proceeded to hang out on the back porch and a good majority of them drank. Becker and Chris also ended up showing up at some point. It was just a good night of talking and catching up. And I'd realized something. It had been since my wedding reception since the 4 of us had been together all at the same time. It's so nice that we're all getting along again.

Some pics from the evening

Olivia and Leslie's self portrait:

Leslie hitting on me...lol!

Olivia and I:

Yay the 4 of us!!!

Video from the evening.

Saturday:

Saturday didn't officially get started until around 6. Olivia's sister was having a BBQ and I got invited. (Once again...this was a family event and I was thrilled to get the opportunity to go!)

We had your typical cook out foods. Burgers, potato salad, chips, etc. Also, some people from high school showed up whom I hadn't seen in years. So that was fun.

Then we went down to the firepit they had set up and talked around it for a while. And, Olivia's sister had all the fixins for Smores! I haven't had Smores in ages!!! They were awesome!

You know you're a grown up though when a good time is just getting together and talking. lol! We're all getting old!

Later in the night, Olivia's sister wanted to go to bed, so we all went back to our house and sat out on the back porch for a while, just chatting (and of course, again, some drinking was done. :D ) They all ended up going home around 1:00 am.

Pics from Sat:

Casey and Olivia seeing each other for the first time for the weekend:

Sitting around the campfire:

Becker's excited to be there!

Wow my brother's a nerd!

Us 3 girls!

Sunday:

Today ended up being a lot about WHF and I. First we got started late. It was just so nice getting to sleep in together. So often one of us is up or the other is. Then, we went to my parent's b/c they were having people over. So, we had some lunch and then left, b/c WHF and I were going to see a movie. (I know...it was a gorgeous day outside and we go see a movie...lol!)

We went to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which turned out to be a really good movie. After that, Olivia called and she, Dan, and Leslie all came over. Then my brother and his boyfriend came over, and finally, one of Olivia's Marine friends came over. (Although, I did know him. We'd gone to high school together.)

Soon after, we got started playing card games. First it was Skip Bo...then we attempted Phase 10, but since I kept winning, they stopped. Then we dug out the Uno set. The first game went by quickly...the second game...not so much. THREE HOURS LATER...the game was over. Although cheating may have been included in the game....lol! The cheating came predominantly from Casey and Leslie though. lol! Mostly though the game went so long b/c we all had like 20 thousand cards in our hands! It was so fun and we laughed so hard playing. Finally, they all went home.

Monday:

WHF and I went over to say bye to Olivia. It's always so hard saying bye to her, knowing full well it will be months before I get to see her again.

After saying bye, WHF's brother and SIL came over. I made dinner for the four of us (my specialty...Hamburger Helper...lol!) They were in town b/c they went over to tell their WHF's grandparent's that they were going to be great grandparents. They took it well.

Emily's getting so big! But there's only one baby in there! They find out in June what the sex is, but Poppy (WHF's grandpa) did a ring test and supposedly, it's going to be a girl.

After dinner, we watched the movie Waitress, b/c we bought it, but still hadn't watched it. It ended up being really good. Once the movie was over though, they left. It was late for them.

Well, that was my fun-filled weekend. Like I said, I had a blast and I'm so glad it ended up being so great. It's been so long since we've hung out like that and I realized I missed it more than I knew. But I'm glad that when we get back together again, it's like high school. Without all the drama! :D

Meh

Sorry about the lack of updates, my life has been extremely busy lately, however, it hasn't been busy b/c of anything in particular. Just piddly stuff that keeps me hopping. So, I figured I'd tie up some loose ends.

First off, about WHF and his job...things are going well there so far. He hasn't hated his job yet this week, so that's a good development. He's starting to be ok with everything. I'm so proud of him for sticking it out. Like I said before, I knew he could do it.

Also, last Wednesday, WHF and I went to a Cardinals game! It was a ton of fun and they won! Which made it even more exciting! But I also go to see where WHF works now. His hotel is so beautiful. I really really liked it and it made me have those jealous feelings I usually get when going to a hotel. The feeling of I want to be staying there badly. I also got to see his office, which was pretty cool to see, since normally, I don't know anything about that side of him and, well, he spends a good portion of his life there...and I know very little about it. It was nice to see that.

My brother is now back together with his boyfriend. Finally! I was tired of hearing him bitch and moan about the whole situation. I can only take the girly emotions for so long before they drive me batty. And he's pretty much the queen bee of girly emotions. So I'm glad all is well for him for the time being.

On to other things...it was 3 years ago on the 18th of this month that I got proposed to. I can't believe that that trip was already 3 years ago. It seems just like yesterday. WHF and I are also almost at our 2 year wedding anniversary mark as well. It really has flown by fast. Here is my favorite pic from the monumental event. :D

The weather outside is finally getting like it's supposed to be. Nice and warm! It's been quite cool, yucky, and rainy lately...but now, looking at the forecast, I think we're done with that.

And last, and the thing I'm most excited about, is Olivia is coming into town this weekend. I've missed her so and can't wait to hang out. I have no idea what we're going to be doing, but as long as I get to see her, we're good. :D I'm sure I'll have a nice report to post later in the weekend.

The Psychiatrist Is In

Do I have a sign on the door of my house that says "The Psychiatrist Is In?" Because lately, I feel like I have. I just keep getting people with problems in my life coming to me for the answers. And I don't know why it's all coming to me! I don't really mind it...however, if I had problems of my own I was trying to deal with, I don't know how on earth I'd manage. lol! I should really start charging. I'd be making a ton of money! :D

My helping first came into play with WHF and the whole job thing. He is doing better now, but he still has his moments where all is not well. But, so far, this week, the good seems to outweigh the bad. But all of last week, I had to continually talk him down from the tree he was in. And that was so rough b/c I did hate to see him so upset, but I knew it was better for our family if he just tried to stick it out a little longer. So far, my advice has been paying off and he's been enjoying his job immensely more.

Next up is my brother. This one is so hard. His boyfriend just broke up with him essentially, with no rhyme or reason of why. All the sudden, he wanted to take a break. My brother was of course, devestated and has now been coming for me for advice on how to win back, "the love of his life." (My brother really should have been a girl sometimes, I swear!) He reacts to the situation just like a girl would, which is amazing to me. The problem is...he's a very lovesick girl and he approaches the situation in a very clingy, needy manner...which of course, does not fly when you're trying to win over a guy. So I've had to try to convince him to play it cool...let things move slowly...don't keep calling him (this is such a big one!)...and essentially, don't be surprised if it doesn't work out. This has, of course, been the hardest for him to accept, but as I told him, it's better to accept it now and be in severe pain for 2 weeks, then to wait 6 months, with hope and then have it essentially not work out anyway. Thank God for Cosmo...this advice has come straight from their pages and the fact that I've been reading it since I was around 16 has really made it all sink in. :D

Then, today, as if I don't have enough people on my couch, Becker calls me. Luckily her problem is a tad bit easier...a friend of hers from college, who basically dropped her like a sack of potatoes recently contacted her, completely out of the blue and asked her to be friends again. Now, she got an email from this friend who is asking her to be in her wedding. Like, completely out of the blue...they haven't talked in a year and when this friend was in town over New Years, I was specifically told not to invite Becker b/c this friend didn't really want her there. My advice to Becker was not so great though b/c I didn't really know what to tell her. I mean, I have no idea what's going on with all that and even though I have a phone call out to Olivia to try and tell me what's up, I've not gotten a response back yet.

It's just weird how all these problems are arrising at once and I'm apparently the only person who can help in each situation. Wow...I'm glad my own life is somewhat simple.

One Week Down

Well, WHF has made it one whole week at his job and he hasn't quit yet! Yay! What an accomplishment considering how he felt on Monday! Eek! I was extremely worried. I'm feeling much calmer now.

WHF accomplished what he set out to accomplish today and he feels a lot better. He even said that the new computer system just sort of clicked today too. So, that's all good news. Hopefully, (and I'll assume it will) things will start to get easier and easier for him. He really appreciates how I've been here for him the last week though. He called me today and told me thank you for putting up with him this week and helping him figure out what to do. Like I said, I know it's been tough on him, but if we just continue to push through...I think we're going to make it. And I couldn't be prouder.

Valley of Flowers Weekend!

Well, it was that time of year again! Spring is upon us and the Valley of Flowers has arrived again. (Well, now it's passed, but still.)

The Valley of Flowers is a HUGE tradition in my hometown. It's a huge 3 day festival that takes over the entire town. Literally. There's things to do everywhere.

Our weekend started on Friday, when WHF, my brother, Becker, Chris, and I all decided to go to the carnival portion. They set up a really great carnival, with really expensive rides, but what the hey...they're fun!

And this is where I took pics! So, I have lots of photos to share! Yay!

Casey's getting ready to have fun!

I decided to surprise my brother by taking his picture when he got out of the Johnny on the Spot.

While waiting for everyone else to show up, we took pics. I like this one b/c he's terrified on Ferris Wheels. Can ride huge coasters, but Ferris Wheels, he won't go near.

Finally, they arrived and WHF decided he needed to try and win me something by playing a basketball game....it didn't work. lol!

I love this pic b/c my brother and WHF don't take pics together very often.

My brother and I

Becker and Chris

And of course, WHF and I...(do I take enough photos?!)

The fair grounds all pretty at night!

Riding the Himalaya!

Last, but not least, is the slide!

The next day, I had to get up bright and early to tape the Tot Wheels Parade. This is a parade for kids where people dress up things like strollers and their kids. It was so cute...the little girl who won was dressed up like a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. They had to move the event inside though b/c it was a lot cool. Too cool for the little ones to be outside for so long.

After the Tot Wheels Parade, I went to go volunteer my time at the barbeque booth that the community service organization that I belong to holds each year. I helped out for a couple of hours and then went home for the day.

Sunday was the big kahuna day. It was the day of the big parade. This parade takes over a huge portion of our town. And people from all over come to it. I helped out by being there for the taping. (My favorite thing about this day is getting to drive around in the golf cart! :D )

After the parade, a coworker and I headed over to the fairgrounds again to tape the Queen's Crowning. (Yes, my town has a queen). This went over really well, at least until the guy hosting decided it would be a great idea to take the microphone off the stand...where we had our mike hooked up to. I had to run up to the front and basically yell at him that the mic had to stay there. That was fun. *rolls eyes*

Another really interesting aspect of the day was that I ran into Mike...the guy I do my podcast with. He lives in my hometown too and I hadn't seen him since way before we started doing the show. It was so great to see him and give him a hug as a thank you. I wished I would have had more time to talk with him, but I didn't. I was supposed to be working...and didn't want my coworker to get mad at me for fooling around. The one thing we did though, was I had a picture taken of us. As soon as I recieve it, I'll post it for you all to see.

So, that was my weekend in my wonderful hometown. It's a great celebration and I look forward to it each year.

Testing, 1,2,3?

Well, things have been a bit interesting here. WHF started his new job on Monday and it's been a roller coaster ride the entire time.

It all started on Monday. WHF came home from work and proclaimed he'd hated it. He didn't really want to go back and was considering quitting. After one day in. I understood his reasons for stress. First off, he found out that lately, people had been working from 7:30 am until 10:00 pm! He'd been told he was only supposed to work until around 6. Also, his boss fired 2 of the people who had been in his department, that were some of the only people who could have helped him out if he'd had questions. Not to mention that he was now in charge of getting the filing system in order, b/c no one else had done it yet. On top of that, add that one of the people who got fired left him a crap ton of work to do...And he had to learn a new computer system, plus many other things...it added to a very stressful day. And I can't imagine what that must have been like to walk into. He was just WAY overloaded with things.

On Monday night, WHF didn't get any sleep. He passed out from the margaritas he'd had after work (amazing how alcohol can do that) but he woke up around 3 am and didn't go to sleep until 4:30. And he has to be up at 6 for work! I felt so bad for him. He was practically begging me, allowing him to quit...but I told him he needed to stick it out. It was only his first day and it was bound to get better.

It was just weird. That day, it felt like there was a light at the end of the tunnel, only to realize that it wasn't the end...it was a big truck headed our direction. And it was so close to running us over.

And it did get better for him...b/c yesterday, he was much happier. I even saw him smile. Which is something I didn't see the day before. He said he wasn't going to quit and was going to wait for it to get better or for them to fire him. He learned the computer system even more and felt a lot better about the whole thing.

Today, I just got off the phone and today pretty much kicked his ass again. But at least he's happier about it. He was laughing and is really trying to put a good spin on things. He says he does know more than he did 3 days ago...but he's still worried he's in way over his head.

I still have faith in him. I know he can do this. He's just got to do things one small step at a time and he'll get there. Right now, there's just a lot that needs to be done and he feels like he's drowning. I know he can get out though. He's just gotta start treading water.

I think this quote by Walt Disney is something WHF needs to hear and hopefully it rings true:
"All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you." ~Walt Disney

It Is True!

Well, you know how the saying goes when one door closes, another opens? And remember how WHF and I were tested earlier this month?

Apperently God was just playing a little trick on us. He thought it would be funny to give me a heart attack, I guess. Because he apparently has rewarded us.

So, I guess I should back up just a little bit. Even before the post I made about being tested. (B/c if you haven't guessed, this post will be a continuation of that one)

About 4 months ago, a hotel in the area was purchased by the hotel company that WHF works for. WHF's boss went over to the new hotel to oversee everything. About a month ago, he called WHF and wanted to get him on his staff, however, it was quickly found out that he couldn't b/c of a no-compete clause between the old hotel and new one.

Then...of course, a couple of weeks ago, we find out that a good chunk of the people in his department are going to probably be needing to look for new jobs. Which sent me into feeling very depressed about the whole ordeal. I was really putting on a good face, but deep down I was worried about what was going to happen. Especially with no prospects on the forefront yet.

However, as you may have guessed, our worrying was all for nothing. A couple of days ago, WHF gets a call saying that he's got an interview with his old boss. Because his old boss wanted him so much, WHF's name has been tossed around the corporation. We're talking, this is big! This went all the way up to the CFO of the company. And this time, it's for real. WHF is now getting promoted.

When this all started out, I thought that there was no way he was going to get to work at the other hotel. I assumed that the no-compete clause was going to do him in, and then finding out the hotel was outsourcing some of their jobs made me feel even worse. At the time, I really had no idea what we were going to do.

Now though, I can't believe this is all happening. I'm so proud of him. He's such an amazing worker. He has no idea how much I believe in him. I can't believe that everything really has worked out...worked out in ways I couldn't have even imagined. So, thank you! To whoever helped to make this possible. I hope that my husband can continue to make you proud. I know he makes me proud on a daily basis.