Splendiferous MT

FINALLY.........

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 19:33:00 +0000

Here are the pics of the house. I made the time to pick up a bit and snap the photos today. I can procrastinate no longer. So for all you patient people who stuck with me so far.......enjoy!

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Front of house. We are on a corner lot, in case you can't see it.

Front of house with more of the driveway.

Front porch where I love to sit and relax!

The back of the house. Notice our tiny garden, we've actually gotten a few tomatoes! We are planning on putting a fence up at some time and a workshop/shed in the back.

The living room from the kitchen/dining room.

Living room from the front door/master bedroom

Kitchen. Counter space!

Dining room. The door on the left goes to the little laundry/utility room. I am so excited to have a laundry ROOM, not my washer and dryer in the kitchen!

Master bedroom

Master bedroom into closet and master bath.

Master bath. I have counter space!

Guest bath

Office. This originally was going to be my room for massage but we decided to make it into an office. There still is room to put my table up in the middle.

Guest room....I know, I know. It sure doesn't look like it. CURRENTLY it is our storage area until we get the shed built. We originally were looking for a house with a basement, but couldn't find a good one. Oh well. The shed is our next project so hopefully this will be a guest room soon.

This is the trey ceiling in the living room. There also is one in the master bedroom. I thought it was pretty cool.

And last but not least...my boys!

I have not put anything up on the walls as you can see. I really need to have a friend help me decorate. I have a hard time visualizing it sometimes.
If ever you are near Louisville,KY let me know and we'd love to see you!

Dance...

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 03:45:00 +0000

I LOVE dancing...which is one reason why I enjoy watching "So You Think You Can Dance". Here is a routine that I watched from a couple of weeks ago and I had to share it. It describes perfectly the emotions of an upcoming deployment for a soldier and his family. Awesomely danced!
(It was taking too long to download so here is the link.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ2RPi_4cQo

I've been tagged....

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:30:00 +0000

If you came to my house. . .

You would see:
Two beautiful window boxes on the front porch brimming over with flowers, Benny laying on the sofa and our new cat Oscar sitting in the window, bare walls because I cannot seem to find the time to "decorate" and a place where 2 people enjoy living.

We’d probably feed you:
Goldfish (I've had a craving for them the past month), watermelon and anything else I decide to make for dinner.

And offer you this to drink:
Water, sweet tea, milk and a stray soda of some sort.

We’d undoubtedly ask if you’d read:
Hmmmm.... anything good lately? Now a days I'm lucky to get to spend a few minutes reading Real Simple magazine, let alone a book. But I have a few I'd like to chill with.....

We’d want to play this music for you:Anything Country.....I agree with Amy, who wants to listen to music when you can gab with friends?

We’d want to tell you the latest about:
Church, work, and wherever we've been hiking lately....just to name a few

We’d probably suggest a game of:
CANASTA

We might/would definitely show off:
our new home, giving the grand tour that takes all of 5 minutes. Open floor plan... :-)

We might get on the computer and show you:
Some of our favorite pictures, or cool videos we've seen on YouTube.

If it was a long enough visit, we might watch:
Depends on the person.....home videos, chick flick, action/adventure? I completely agree Amy.

What would a visit to your house be like?

So, I'm supposed to tag some other folks. Let's say:

Aliza
Domestic Intellectual
Charletta

Although it sounds like we're too busy to be home, we tend to just relax and watch a few of our favorite shows in the evening, plus catch up on the happenings of life. Sometimes it feels like we're travelling in a million directions...lol

Here's a little update of our life.....Jason gets out of the army in January so he is starting the process now. All this week he has ACAP training. Not sure what is stands for but it pretty much is classes on writing a resume, how to look for a job, etc. He has a few ideas of where he'd like to work, but first he wants to make sure he has what he needs to get started. It is kinda weird thinking about getting out of the Army. Although it has been tough at times, its all we've known being married almost 3 years now. We are not going to have the same benefits or responsibilities as we have now. It's exciting, yet a LITTLE scary....lol But God knows what we need and where He wants us, so we're following Him.
Work is still the same. I have my 90 day review coming up on Thursday. I'm not really worried since my boss and I have already talked a bit, but I know there are areas that I can improve.
As I mentioned above we have a cat. He really is Jason's cat. I don't mind cats but I certainly am more of a dog person. Jason has the joy of playing with a crazy black and white cat about 1 yr old. Oscar is definitely something else. We've only had him about a week but he is slowly warming up to Benny. Benny doesn't mind him but depending on Oscar's mood he either doesn't mind Ben or hates him. I swear he has split personalities....lol

Well, I got a lot to do this morning before work so I better cut out. Ta-ta for now!

We're in the house!

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:29:00 +0000

Just a quickie to let you know that we are moved into the new house. YEAH! I'll post pics as soon as I can. Life is crazy with us having moved, my work moving to a bigger location, my friend getting married in Michigan and me singing at her wedding and the plans that are coming up for the next couple of months. Will it ever slow down? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Not moving yet...

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:40:00 +0000

Here's a quick update: We found out the day of our walk through that the house is not ready and that earlier they had asked for an addendum, unbeknownced to us. So needless to say, we are not moving until April 11th. It's good in that it gives us more time to pack, but bad in that we have to change everything we had previously set up, including people to help us move.
Our realtor had done many things that we were not happy with and so after talking to his broker and laying out what took place, SHE is now our realtor. We are much relieved. Things are starting to get done, finally.
So that's what's happening so far.......

Knowing where your meant to be....

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:22:00 +0000

I started work last Tuesday and although the days are long and I come home tired, I know this is where I am supposed to be. There is such a peace. I am surrounded by Christians who desire to serve the Lord daily. Each morning we pray before our patients come in. We want to be full so we can pour into others. It's refreshing.

As many of you know I am NOT a morning person. I prayed that God would help me not to be lazy and get up so I have enough time to get ready and spend unhurried time with Him. As always, He is faithful and does just that. All week I have been able to spend time with the Lord, gaining strength for what is to come. And each day I have all that I need. I know this may sound juvenile considering I've been having my devotions since before I was 10 yrs old, but in the last 6 month or so, I had become lukewarm at times. I would read God's Word occasionally, but that was it. When I read it, nothing spoke to me. I was parched and yet not drinking of the Living Water even though it was right there before me, in my hands, OPEN. Then something happened. My heart changed. I knew I needed more. I wasn't content just looking at my salvation, I needed to drink it in. So I did, and it has been WONDERFUL! I have a renewed joy for life and instead of looking at what I lack, I see what I have. My mind is not overwhelmed with so much to do, but it is filled with the peace that whatever comes my way, I can face it because when I am weak I am STRONG. The peace of the Lord is transcending all my understanding and guiding my heart and mind.
It's beautiful......

more pics.....

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:48:00 +0000

Uncle Jason and his first Hicks nephew! Aren't they cute!

Here is our house. As you can see, it is still under construction. It should be finished and ready for us to move in on the 28th of this month! We are SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!

Today was my first day on the job. It went very well. I really like the people I work with and I think it'll be overall, just really good. It was only a half day today and they certainly kept me busy. I am so tired right now!?! I'll probably be tired and sore the next couple of weeks. Plus with moving on top of that.....Oh boy...it's crazy here. AH!

I'm an Aunt again....

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:15:00 +0000

Jason's sister Rebecca had a wonderful baby boy, Brayden, on Saturday, Feb. 16th at 9:42pm. He weighed 7 lbs. 6 oz and was 21 inches long. We were at the hospital when he was born so we got to see him when he was just minutes old. Both Brayden and Bec are doing well. They had moments of fear when Rebecca had a fever of 104*F, then Brayden's umbilical cord was torn and he had pooped in the womb. But the doctor was smart and they got Brayeden out, pumped his stomach and a specialist checked him out, and he was fine. We keep thanking God that Rebecca's assigned Dr. was not the one on call that night, as he seemed incompetent during the pregnancy. So, PTL, both Bec and Brayden are strong, safe and healthy!

When I upload the pics from our camera, I'll post them.

Me and changes

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 01:06:00 +0000

Oh FYI, I got a new haircut, much to my husbands dismay. I was tired of the long locks so I cut it off. Jason still doesn't like it and honestly, I don't know if I like it myself, but thanks goodness, it grows fast! I just had Jason take a pic so here it is.

So much happening.....

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:28:00 +0000

I am so sorry for not putting info on here earlier. Life is getting away from me.

My contract with N Touch Therapeutic Massage is done the end of this month. I was renting a room from them and things weren't going as well as we had hoped. Lots of miscommunication. I realized that what I really need right now is to be working FOR someone, not on my own. God worked it out that I will be working at a chiropractors office full time and will be helping them with a program that consists of an adjustment, massage, and exercises. My first day is Tuesday, March 4th! I am both excited and a little nervous! I see a lot of potential for growth there. I guess we'll see how it goes once I start.

Jason and I also have been looking to buy a house. He gets out of the military in January of 2009 and we want to stay around for a while, maybe 3-5 years or so. Definitely not long term, but we really love our church and we like the area, so we figure this is a good place to start. Jason has a few job leads here, which is encouraging. We've looked at probably 30 or more houses and have narrowed it down to a few, so it is becoming more of a reality......ahhhhhh!

There is a lot on our plate right now, so if you think of it, please pray for wisdom on our part. We really want to be in the center of God's will, but there are times when I get anxious and have a tendency to push forward before it is time. My good friend Charletta, very lovingly reminded me not to plan and push my life but let God do what He wants when He wants. Jason and I have really been praying for wisdom and discernment and we've heard a voice behind us saying turn to the left or the right, we just have to be careful to not run ahead. It is harder at times then I'd like to admit, but I'm trying. God's grace is good.

As things progress I will do my best to update the blog, but if your reading this then you know me and know the likelihood of that...LOL

Life is flying by....

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:22:00 +0000

Well everyone, life is flying by and I realized that I haven't posted in over a month (which isn't really unusual for me....) Anywho, here's an update:
I did the triathlon. I did it in about 1.5 hours. The winners did it in around 45 minutes or so. Not bad. I got up at 4:45 to get there for registration and I forgot my camelback with the Gatorade in it. Thankfully I had 2 water bottles but I drank one completely before I left so needless to say, I got REALLY thirsty. They had 2 water stops along the way, but it wasn't much. I finished though and that's what counts. I met a wonderful woman who cheered me along and took some pics for me. Her husband was racing and was pretty far ahead of me. My friend Justine came too. Here are some pics.

To make this shorter than a novel I'll touch on the big things.

We got a new puppy! We named her Libby, she is 7 months old now (5 months when we got her)and weighs about 25 lbs. Benny adores her and they have a blast together. Here is a pic.

We bought a truck. It is a 2005 GMC 2500HD Duramax crew cab with a 6" lift. I know, not the best for little ones, but it works for us. We sold Jason's truck and needed something that could hold us and our 2 dogs comfortably and in the future, our kiddos too. Here's a pic of that too.
Well, only 3 more weeks and my Honey is HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM ECSTATIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! It's hard to believe it's almost been 15 months since he first left. WOW! So much has changed.
I now am a licensed massage therapist and working at N Touch Therapeutic Massage in Elizabethtown. I'm there 3 days a week and after the first of the year I should be working at the gyms here on post too. Business is going very well! I recently got published in the Turret (the free paper here on post) in an article about army spouses who are entrapenuers. My business is Massage by Emily and I am contracted to N Touch and soon, the Army MWR. I came up with Massage By Emily on accident, very boring I know but it's my business email and so it's my business name too. Maybe after Jason and I get settled into where we're going to live for a while I'll open up shop with a more interesting name...LOL We'll see....it depends on if I have little ones at my feet or not.....
Well, I need to give my "babies" a bath. They've been running in the mud outside....and bringing it inside....ick.
Until later.......

my clelbruty look-alikes

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 20:36:00 +0000

It's official!

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:17:00 +0000

It's official! I am now Emily Hicks, Licensed Massage Therapist! All that schooling and testing has finally paid off. I am looking at a few different jobs right now, but in the meantime I am working at the State Fair. Our school rents a booth and we offer chair massage, for a fee of course. I get to work there for a few hours almost everyday the next 2 weeks! It'll be great exposure! Get my name out, and so on.

I am still working on training for the triathlon. Unfortunately I think I jumped in over my head. I have about 3.5 weeks before the race and I rode my bike today for the first time. I had wanted to get one, so I figured now was a good time to buy one. Then to top it off, the pool on post is closed for renovation so I can only do my lap swimming at the waterpark between the hours of 11am and 7pm. I'm going to do this, even if I come in last! The other girls haven't decided if they want to do the triathlon or not, so I may be flying solo.
I don't think I told you all the particulars of the race before so here they are: It is a 400 meter swim in a pool, followed by biking for 8 miles on some roads, followed by running for 3K (1.86 miles) out back where it is slightly hilly. This is going to be pretty tough, not in comparison to triathlons, but in comparison to how much I usually exercise. I've had to battle tired/laziness along the way and sometimes I lose the battle, BUT I'm trying. This is more than just a physical thing for me. It's physical, emotional, spiritual. It tests me on so many levels.
Thanks to all of you for your support. If I can do this, who knows what lies ahead!

I'm really going to do it!

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 13:30:00 +0000

I can't believe its true, but I am doing a mini-triathlon! Come September I will be swimming, biking and running for a day! There are 2 other girls doing it with me. Its interesting how it all came about.......I was doing a presentation with Arbonne when the hostess, Amanda, asked if I would like to do a triathlon with her. Normally I would have politely refused instantly, but something made me stop and think. "I've wanted to get into better shape and into the HABIT of exercising for a while now, but it's been hard to be consistent when there is no clear goal. Here is a definite clear goal. What a great opportunity for me! I get the bests of both worlds: workout buddies and an end goal. I don't have to finish first, I can go at my own pace during the triathlon...the important thing is FINISHING. I should do it! It will certainly push me outside of my comfort zone, but......that is where growth takes place. I really could use a change too and it would be GREAT to have something to look forward to instead of sitting at home alone, especially these last few months before Jason comes home. I NEED something to look forward to"......isn't it great how God provides for our every need even when what we need is to get out of a rut and off our butts?
I had a little extra incentive too...when I mentioned it to Jason he thought it was a great idea....in fact he told me how great that would be that we could finally run together. ( We attempted a run together when we were camping in Texas in February of 2006. It was awful! I had no stamina and our run ended up being a hoppy-walk for about .25 miles if even. It was so embarrassing.) Jason has really wanted to be able to run together and he joked that if I didn't learn to run then he would tie a rope around my waist and drag me along...LOL Even though he said it in a joking way, I knew he was still serious. I didn't realize how important it was to Jason that this be something we can share. Now I know and now it makes me want to do it all the more!
So now I have a bunch of reasons to motivate me to do this triathlon and now that I've told you all, you can keep me accountable...eek.
I really am excited to see what happens. I'm already feeling better after I exercise! Woohoo!

I passed the certification test!

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:17:00 +0000

Well, I passed! The certifiaction test wasn't the easiest test to do. I wish I would have done a little better in the assessment part, but hey, at least I passed! Now I just have to wait for the state to license me....
Last week a few of us Army wives were asked to comment on the show Army Wives that is on Lifetime. They wanted to know what a real army wife thought of the show. They actually got a few things wrong from the interview. I was the one who talked about the FRG not Carmen, but other than that everything else was the same. Check it out: http://www.thenewsenterprise.com/articles/2007/07/09/news/news03.txt
Today I have my first Arbonne presentation on my own. It should go well, since everyone there is really great! Well, I gotta get ready to go!

Family

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 18:06:00 +0000

I got back from the Kilbourne family reunion last night......there were so many people there! I met cousins that are my age that I didn't even know existed! It was great! We got to talk and catch up with everyone! It had been so long......I hadn't seen everyone in like 10 years! Everyone remembered me as a little pipsqueak. Last they knew me I was a quiet little girl that didn't have much of a personality. Well, I DEFINITELY have changed! I think I shocked some of them with my "loudness".....LOL
Family is great! Especially a family that cares about each other and makes the effort to stay in touch. Next time your family is having a reunion....be sure to go. You never know how blessed and refreshed you'll be when surround by those who love you.
Take my advice....you won't regret it. :-)

I'm biting my nails in anticipation

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 16:48:00 +0000

I got the letter stating I can take my Massage cert test. I scheduled it for Tuesday the 10th at 4pm. After the fact I figured I should have schedueld it for the morning when my brain is the "freshest". Ah well, I have no choice.
For some reason I always get super nervous before a test. I work myself up for no reason. Well I am determined to not freak myself out this time. It's going to be fine. Come on, it's mulitple choice questions. Not that bad.......
I am still trying to figure everything out with working at the massage clinic in Elizabethtown. Somehow, we've misunderstood each other so hopefully I'll still have the job. If not though, I do have options. A Chiropractor in Louisville wants to hire me and I heard that one of the spas in Elizabethtown is hiring. So we'll see......
This weekend, I get to go to a family reunion with my Grandpa's side of the family. Mom and Dad and Grandpa and Grandma are picking me up along the way. I haven't seen everyone in years! It'll be nice to catch up!
Well, I should be off. I need to clean up the house for the girls that are watching Ben while I'm gone. Hope everyone is having a good day!

Natalie's trip....

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 16:19:00 +0000

Natalie arrived on Thursday night at 11:30 pm. We were both so excited and not too tired so I gave her the grand tour of the house, she met Benny and then we went to bed and being girls, we did the norm and stayed up talking until 2 a.m. You know there is so much catching up to do! :-)

We didn't really have any plans set during her trip except to go to six flags. So Friday we got settled, and kinda bummed around. I gave Natalie the short tour of Fort Knox and where are my favorite places to go. We hit the Old Navy store and Goody's, plus we grocery shopped so we wouldn't starve, then chilled that evening.

Saturday we bummed around for a while (we did a lot of that) then we headed out to one of our favorite spots.....Kart Kountry! We played mini-golf and rode Thunderbolt go-carts.

I knew I always had a bit of competitiveness in me, but I didn't realize it's full potential until we went on the go-carts. Whenever Jason and I go to Kart Kountry we ride the fastest go-carts and race each other around the winding 1.5 mile track. Well, needless to say, I left Natalie in the dust! At least the first few times.....

We had so much fun at Kart Kountry that after church and the FRG get together at the park, we headed back there! Natalie's putt-putt skills as well as her driving skills improved a lot overnight! Watch out everyone...she was hot and ready to go! :-) It was a blast!

Natalie had brough the BBC series called North and South. It was 2 DVDs. We watched it that night and just at the end of the first DVD when I was left wondering what would happen we decided to quickly, and I mean quickly, run over to the Asian restaurant to get a bite to eat. I ate in anguish, but soon it was relieved as we finished the movie. It was very good, btw.

Monday was our first day at 6 Flags. We decided to split up our time so as to not feel rushed and spent one day riding the rollarcoosters and the other at the waterpark.

Monday was rollarcooster day. We got there right after lunch and rode to our hearts content. It was perfect! The longest we ever waited for a ride was maybe 25 minutes!

We of course had our favorites: Breakdance and Thunder Run in particular. We both were screamers and it wouldn't be right to ride without our hands in the air either. Needless to say, the next day left us just a bit hoarse! But hey, that's just part of the experience!

Here we are enjoying some Dots Ice cream and a bit of shade!

It wasn't really that bad, but we're goofs! We really play off eachother well!

Tuesday was the waterpark. Now we couldn't go back without riding Breakdance JUST ONE MORE TIME! And another time, and another time.... So here we are....and it was worth it. It was our first and last ride of the day. The last time was definitely the best!

We were so busy soaking up the sun that we forgot to take pictures so this is the only one we have for the waterpark. We rode all the rides. From the lazy river, to the water cooster, to the funnel thing that you ride up high on the sides in a raft. That one was really fun, but for some reason the poeple up top had the hardest time believing that I didn't want to go down backwards so finally after the 4th time, I got to see us wooshing down into the funnel as opposed to just seeing why Natalie had a semi-frightened look on her face. :-) It was great!

On Friday we had gotten some Pina Colada mix so finally on Tuesday night, we blended it up with the ice and drank up.....virgin ones of course.

Wednesday was the worst day of all....Natalie had to go home. But we made the most of it. I know Benny was bummed to see Natalie go as much as I was. He really bonded with her. When we walked in it was like" Forget Mom, Natalie's here!" Just kidding, not QUITE that bad. LOL But He loved walking over to her side of the bed in the morning and sticking his cold wet nose in her face....

As much as I was bummed to see Natalie go, I was SO GLAD THAT SHE CAME!!!!!!!!!!!! It was like a little piece of heaven on earth! Thanks for the fun times Girl! Your the best! I love you!

I have not fallen off the planet.....

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 23:11:00 +0000

Though you might have thought so. I have been crazy busy! Let's see......
I planted our garden...tomatoes and green beans. Benny has managed to avoid it so far. Yahoo. Hopefully everything comes out well. Jason would be so proud. :-)
I finished all of my hours for massage and I have mailed off the paperwork for taking the certification test. I can't wait!
I got to go home for Memorial Day weekend and visit with my family, Sara and the Rogers. We had a great time. It was almost like the good old days on Henry Place. Between all of our crazy stories we managed to go without anyone peeing their pants, although we got AWFULLY close.....LOL I look forward to spending time with the kids again in July!
I sang my 3rd special at church this last Sunday. It went very well. I am building more confidence each time. I know my parents are happy about that...:-)
My best friend Natalie is coming for a week this Thursday! I am so excited I can hardly wait! We haven't seen each other since Thanksgiving and even then it was only for a couple of days. We are going to have so much fun!
Now for a not so good note......we got a time frame for Jason returning home. It is the middle of November. He'll miss both our 1st and 2nd anniversaries but at least he should be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. There is something to look forward to....
Well, I really need to finish laundry and get ready for bed. I'll try to update this more often than I have been. Note I said TRY.......

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Fri, 04 May 2007 17:04:00 +0000

For those of you who do not know my wonderful husband Jason or have not seen him here is a photo of my handsome man.

Jason, the Knight of My Heart! I love you Baby!

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Fri, 04 May 2007 16:25:00 +0000

I know it has been a while since I wrote. Thank you all for the wonderful birthday cards and comments! I had a GREAT birthday! Thanks to the Rogers especially for making my trip a real blast! The only thing that could have made the whole thing better was if Jason could have been here to share it with me! I can't wait for him to see where I grew up the first 15 years of my life.

When I was in the Chicago area I got to do some shopping, visit with friends, party, and enjoy the life I used to know. It was nice reminiscing about getting Subway every Sunday after church one summer and sitting at the lakefront eating and boat watching. What a great time we had.......

The museum was fun. I really enjoyed the bodyworlds exhibit, especially the one part off to the side where they had the babies and the 7 month pregnant woman. It was very tastefully and reverently done. No one after seeing the baby inside her womb could doubt there is a God. It was beautiful.

One of my favorite parts of the museum was the navy exhibit. Gen and I were like little kids as we tried to match the sound to the thing we thought it was. We had 2 minutes to hear 13 different sounds and figure out what they were. We tried it 3 times I think, before we got all of them correct in the allotted time. It was so much fun!

It was great to hang out with people who loved me and KNOW me. The Rogers have known me since I was who knows how old and it was nice to not have to explain anything, they just KNEW ME. It was a refreshing change. New friends are nice but sometimes you just need someone who knows you and loves you despite your idiosyncrasies. Someone who you can be completely comfortable with. Besides Jason and my family, I haven't had that since Jason left in August. I was sad to leave the Rogers, but I did miss my baby Benny. My neighbor Mindy was watching him for me. He was a good boy while I was away but still almost knocked me over when I went to pick him up, he was so excited to see me.

Benny is such a comfort and I'm so glad we have him. He is like Jason's personality in a dog's body. I love it! He cracks me up! He can be the cutest, happiest dog ready to play as soon as he wakes up but if he sees that I'm still tired he turns it down to low key and sleeps on his bed while I catch a few more winks. He knows when to be excited and playful and when to be snugly and quiet. I think that I would be miserable if I didn't have Benny right now.

I love to watch Jason and Benny together. They are so excited and they play and wear each other out then snuggle on the couch. It's really great. We only had Benny 4 months before Jason left and he was afraid Benny wouldn't recognize him but as soon as we got home after picking Jason up from the airport in late January, Benny came running up to Jason wagging his tail all excited. He knew his Daddy was home! I know that when Jason returns again later this year Ben will know him again.

Even though we don't have any kids yet, we still have a baby. Benny-boy! And boy is he cute!

Unfortunately with age I don't always get wiser

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 23:18:00 +0000

My birthday is coming up April 26th. It is hard to believe that I will be 23 years old! It seems so old, but at the same time so young.
I will be going up to Chicago to visit my cousins this coming weekend ( I wanted to spend my birthday with people who love me, know me and who I haven't seen in a while) and I'm going to see the Body Worlds exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. I have heard so much about it I wanted to see it before it left. Since getting into massage therapy I have been more fascinated about how God designed our bodies. It is so awesome! I boggles my mind sometimes! I can't wait to go! :-)
For my birthday my husband was so smart and got me a fabulous Palm Pilot. I had forgotten a couple of appointments so in his wisdom he set me up. What a great man! That thing has been a life saver. But as with anything else, it's only good if you use it. I made the same mistake as before and didn't use ONLY ONE calendar and I managed to double-book myself. Great, now what? Well......thank goodness for grace, I managed to move things around so now I have some breathing space between appointments. If I had SOLEY used the wonderful gift I wouldn't have double-booked myself and would have been a much less stressed girl. Well I have learned my lesson: only use my palm pilot for scheduling!
With that note, I better call to confirm my appointments tomorrow!

I passed!

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 23:03:00 +0000

Well everyone, I passed my finals! I'm glad that is over, although it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I only have 10 more hours of injury massage to do and I will be FINISHED and on my way to licensure. I'm hoping to get that wrapped up the beginning of May.
After finals I went home to Missouri and visited with Mom and Dad, Amy and the kids and my in-laws. Amy, the kids and I met on Wednesday in Springfield, IL and visited Rebecca, Sarah, Grandma and Grandpa and Alice and Brian and their kids. It was a nice trip! The whole time! My one big day with my side of the family I ended up catching a few more winks during the day than I had planned......2 hours more....oops, but I guess I needed it! It was fun to stay up late talking with Amy in bed. It was like we were young girls again. I remember how all of us girls would stay up late talking in bed. Everyone used to joke that I had a button on the back of my head that as soon as I laid down to go to sleep it would cause my mouth to open and volumes of words to flow forth.....in my defense, it's just that when I actually quiet down for bed, I can think and remember all the things I wanted to say earlier but forgot....LOL
I spoke with a therapist in a town nearby and I have a job lined up. We just have a few more details to finish before I begin but it is a great start for me. Plus, I will be assisting at my school for the morning beginning class once a week! I am REALLY excited! It is so cool how God brought it all about. He still works out every detail of our lives!

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 00:52:00 +0000

My finals are Monday and Tuesday. Surprisingly, I'm quite calm. This is crazy since last week I was a nervous wreck. You'd think I'd get more nervous the closer it is to the deadline. I guess I'm at the point that whatever happens, happens. Just relax, pray and enjoy the ride.

I am looking forward to going back home for a few days after the final. I so need a break. All of my days have been jumbled together and moving in fast forward but I feel like I'm in slow motion. I barely have time to breathe. Hopefully that'll change. But it's up to me. I have to make the time to relax, just like I have to make the time to eat, sleep, have my quiet time and exercise. It's tougher than I'd like to admit, but I can do it. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, even if its just sitting down for a few minutes and doing nothing.

My friend Katie comes home on Tuesday. I can't wait to see her. She was one of the first girls I met when we moved here and a real blessing. It'll be nice to hang out with her again. She was in California for the birth of her baby girl Helena. Her hubby Tony is with Jason in Iraq. I've only seen pictures of Helena but I know that pictures don't do people justice. I just better be careful to not let my biological clock go haywire. I already want to be a Mom. But, nows not the time obviously. Anyways, it'll be nice to have a baby around. I miss playing with my nieces and nephew. Kids are great!

Well, now is the time that I need to make for exercising. I told Jason I'd do it today and the day is quickly becoming nil and void, so I better scoot.

noreply@blogger.com (Splendiferous MT) — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 00:49:00 +0000