Stress..

So the last few weeks I have been in quite a funk. I have been super emotional and everything seems like its the end of the world. There are days that I am just unusually sad, but cant figure out why, and days that I am just so angry, but dont have a real reason. JR can call and ask how my day is and it will just set me off...either crying or yelling or both. I know that the main reason I feel this way is because I am so stressed out. I am completely overwhelmed. I am one of those people that can't just let things work themselves out...I need to have a plan. I need to have a backup plan for my original plan. I am by no means a neat freak, nor am I extremely organized...I wish I was, but I am not. In fact, the only time in my life I have ever been extremely organized, was when I was pregnant. But just because I dont organize everything in my life, I still have to have a plan. I plan everything...I am actually anal about it. If I need to go to the grocery store, it needs to be planned a day in advance. I plan, mainly because I have a child, and doing things spontaneously just aren't that easy anymore. It makes my life easier and harder. Once, I went to the grocery store, got everything I needed off my list, got home and realized I had forgotten to get a can of pineapples...I was making pineapple chicken, so I really needed the pineapples. I had a complete meltdown. On several occasions, I have stopped at the store to do some impromtu shopping...I end up spending about an hour and a half and usually walk away with nothing...mainly because I am overwhelmed by choices, and I dont know what to get because it wasn't planned.
So I sound like a crazy person...I should tell you it isn't always like this...just most of the time. I dont do well with choices. Just give me an either/or and let me pick between two things. This is why when JR asks, what do you want for dinner, and I say I dont know....I am not trying to be difficult....I really dont know, there are just too many choices. I dont like being overwhelmed, I get extremely stressed out, and it just isn't pretty.
So what am I overwhelmed about, you ask....What else, THE WEDDING. There is still so much to do and not enough money to pay for it all, and I dont know what to do. In my head, I know that it will all work out....but I dont know how yet, and its driving me crazy. I met with a florist this week who suggested that because of my dress, I should go with some color for my flowers. I had originally thought I would do all ivory flowers...roses, callas, etc. simple but elegant was the plan. Because my dress is champaigne, I was worried that the ivory flowers might get drowned out. So he asked what color my bridesmaids were wearing, when I showed him the swatch, he says, "oh, this is great, because you can choose almost any color with this! You could go with pale pinks, or some pastels, some purple or yellows, or you could go with so vibrant colors like hot pink, bright orange...what do you think?" UMMMMMMM.....I dunno! Way too many choices. I liked the ivory, because like I said, it was simple but still elegant, the roses and callas, were very classic and traditional. I knew from the beginning I wanted traditional...not trendy. I dont know what to do.....any ideas??? I do like the idea of adding some color, and I even like the bright colors, but I also like the lighter ones. Too many choices...too overwhelming, what if I choose the wrong one! and by the way JR is no help...he says to pick the one I like the best! GRRRR.
The DJ we wanted to use is out of town on the weekend of our wedding, which sucks, but being the planner that I am, I have a back up!!!
I cant get a hold of the photographer that I wanted to use...here I am ready to make my deposit and I cant get them to call back, and now that it has been two weeks, my faith in them has diminshed...if it takes two weeks to call me back, can I trust them to show up.....so again I have a back up, its just that they require 50% upfront, so I have to wait a little longer before I can pay all that money!
Apparently, the venue is a caterers nightmare...they have a kitchen, but it is only equipped for heating the food up....didn't think about that one when I booked it!....So my venue has a caterer that does most of their events...but as you can guess, costs twice as much! So I am still looking into that.
I still have to pick out linens, which I have put off because of the amount of choices...plus I wanted to see how much money I have left, and I am hoping to find a caterer that provides linens!!
I really wanted to have live ceremony music, a string duet or trio...but I dont think my budget will allow it.
This is so stressful, I am seriously just about ready to cut my losses, take the rest of the money and go to Vegas. I even told JR today that instead of Vegas, we should just go to the Virgin Islands (our honeymoon destination...HOPEFULLY), get married there, have our honeymoon, and come home and have a bar-b-q in the backyard for the celebration with friends and family. The whole point of me doing the wedding this way was to have our friends and family with us....now I am just too stressed to care!
Will definitely take any words of encouragement!

time goes by

January is coming to a close which is so crazy...it seems like only yesterday it was Thanksgiving. I am looking into finding another job, and it seems as if my primary job (educational foundation) will not be starting back up. Money is tight and I am worried. There is so much we want to do and affording seems to get harder and harder. Especially with the prospects of having another child! I know it will all work out, I just have a hard time letting it all go and waiting. I want to know HOW it will all work out. I am the type of person who always needs to have a plan, and then a backup plan in case the first one gets disrupted!
My bridesmaids and I will soon be getting together to start planning the bridal shower and bachelorette party. That will be fun, and it will kick my butt into gear to get everything finished for the wedding! I have done so much and yet I know I am leaving things out! So it will be nice to have it all organized and laid out to see what else needs to be done. I have pretty much just focused on getting the big things squared away, but as we all know, the big things are nice but all the small things add up quickly.
My cousin is getting married Feb. 8th and I am so excited. I dont often get to see my Dad's side of the family, so I really look forward to getting to see them all. They are all from west Texas and even growing up we never really spent much time with them...you know the once, maybe twice a year kind of thing. I love my family, all of them, so I love the little opportunities we get to spend with them.
I am looking forward to June...so much is happening, on the 7th my parents will have been married for 22 years, the 14th I will be 26, the 21st I get married to the love of my life, and the 22nd we start trying for another baby. Part of me wishes I could skip forward to all the exciting parts, because with excitement comes stress...wouldn't be great to just skip the stress part??
My neighbor informed me today that she is definitely having a boy. I cant wait...oh by the way she is due June 22....so you see, June is awesome! They are already starting to get the nursery ready, and it is really funny to watch Travis. He is so excited about becoming a dad. I cant really explain it, but he is just different...he lights up when you talk about parenthood...so does Nikki...but its just sweet to see the guy get so excited! Usually it takes guys a little longer to realize the reality of being pregnant...but he seems to really get it!

comments

Now that I have all the fun, nice stuff posted...In response to the comment left on the blog post about my mom's recent airplane experience...I understand that some people are larger than what a seat space can hold, and it can make for an uncomfortable experience for the people around them. I know that I would be irritated to sit next to someone and feel like I was being stuffed into a small space because they person next to me was too big for theirs. But I have a HUGE problem with people being unnecessarily rude...I have a HUGE problem with people saying something is policy, when it isn't (that's called a lie, by the way). If they want to make it policy, then they should...it should be a rule, right there in black in white...."If you weigh over [certain amount of weight] you must purchase two tickets." Granted I haven't been on an airplane in quite sometime but I do know that the seats aren't exactly big cushy recliners...I am about to marry someone that is over 300 pounds, and when we get on the plane to go to our honeymoon destination...I hope that we dont have to purchase an extra ticket, but I can also guarantee that he wont be spilling over into other seats. I know that we can go to Minute Maid to watch a baseball game and we can sit in those itty bitty tiny seats and there is no spilling over. This friend of my moms was able to buckle herself in with NO extension, and put her arm rest down without a problem....so HOW does this excuse the behavior of the flight attendants. It is extremely discriminatory. What about people that are over 6 feet (which my fiance is as well) and there legs are so long that there knees are slammed into the back of the seat of the person in front of them...should they purchase two tickets..how does that work? I just dont get it...and after reading the letter....seriously....I DONT GET IT! How can you possibly not feel for this person, whether you know her or not....I have told this story to a number of people and not one of them has the reaction supporting the behavior of the airline. Except this ONE comment...If it was a rule...clearly stated in black and white it would be different..it would be airline policy and if she didn't want to purchase two tickets she could find a different airline....but it isn't SWA policy, no one complained, and NOTHING justifies the behavior of the flight crew! NOTHING!

Busy Busy

So this past weekend has just been go go go! Friday night I went to Houston and enjoyed some time with my friend Dana watching a group of friends from elementary school who are now in a band. It was really fun, I didnt want to leave!

Saturrday was Wednesday's Birthday party...she's 1. She has gotten so big and so adorable....she is just the cutest thing, I got to spend some good quality time with her, and it made me want another baby so much....I cant wait to extend the family.

She loved the tissue paper!

Chocolate cake is yummy!

I was so impressed....Stephanie bought these Martha Stewart Do It Yourself kits and made the beautiful paper flowers. She did such a good job...I know the lighting is bad in the picture...but you get the idea.

David and Stephanie asked if they could borrow Logan's high chair for the party, which of course, was no big deal. Logan hasn't used it in forever! But after Travis returned it, Logan saw me carrying it inside, and decided he wanted to sit in it again. So I put him in the high chair and gave him some pasta pickups....mmmm ravioli...He ended up falling asleep! Hahahahahaha!

The funniest thing about him falling asleep in the high chair was that he made sure he finished all his food first!!!!

The drama of my family

Last night I was at work and finally got all 355 papers loaded into my car, getting everything situated and ready for the next 2 1/2 hour task at hand when my phone starts ringing....its 3:15 so I assume it is Mike my manager, imagine my surprise when I look down at the phone to see that it is my mother calling me!!!
So My mom is in Huntsville at my little sisters (Vanessa) apartment and she says she is awake at this time because the apartment smells so bad that she cant fall asleep, so she drove to Wal-Mart to get some stuff to help with the smell. My sister has a 90lb. Doberman Pincer (9 months old and still growing) and her roommate has a cat and a large (80 lb.) Chocolate Lab. Because of this and the fact that they are in school and at work, the animals have accidents quite frequently around the apartment, causing it to smell....even after being cleaned!
I ask why my mom is in Huntsville and she tells me the story....
Kelsey, my sisters roommate, has decided to move out. Now here is a little back story....Kelsey is Vanessa's best friend...they went to high school together, and when Vanessa headed to Arkansas to go to college, Kelsey quite frequently took trips with my mom to go and visit (also building a relationship with my mom). After the first semester, Kelsey decided she would go to Arkansas and her and Vanessa would be roommates. Vanessa was able to get her a job with the football team as one of the film girls, which is what Vanessa did there....by doing so, Henderson State waived the out of state tuition...so while they may not have been getting a paycheck, there tuition was remarkably more affordable! After that semester they both decided that Arkansas was too far from home, and they wanted to come back to Texas. Kelsey, couldn't afford to put herself through school and her mom decided to purchase a new truck instead of helping her with tuition so Kelsey would not be attending....Vanessa visited some schools and chose Sam Houston State University. She got and apartment and at the last minute Kelsey decided she would move in with Vanessa in Huntsville...her philosophy being that she could work in Huntsville just as easily as she could back home. So now that semester is over and Vanessa has just started the spring semester at SHSU, and we are all very proud of her...shes doing well, making good grades...almost 2 years of college without any major screw ups.....things are going well for her, meanwhile Kelsey still isn't in school, and basically resents Vanessa. Some of it is understandable...but come on! So Thursday (yesterday) my mom gets an e-mail from Kelsey's mom saying that she would be going to Huntsville this weekend to pack up Kelsey and move her home, because things just weren't working for her. WOW! Kelsey didn't even have the guts to tell Vanessa herself! So my mom went down there yesterday to support Vanessa and make sure that Kelsey and her mom didn't upset her anymore than she already is...basically she is playing her mama bear role. My mom and Vanessa made some good points to her and asked her to sign a paper stating that she is still responsible for her portion of the rent...which she did. My mom said that if she doesn't she will take her to small claims court...it wouldn't be fair for Vanessa to get evicted for not being able to pay the whole rent when Kelsey is 50% responsible for it. Tey also asked her why she didn't say something last month so that Vanessa could have found a roommate then....everyone is already in class, so they already have a place to live...that would have been the best time to be looking for a roommate. My mom has been there for Kelsey through so much and she is so upset, #1 because of how much its hurting Vanessa and #2 because she feels like she got screwed as well. This is why friends aren't always the best to live with!!!!

So much and so little

OKay so I have so much to blog about, but I need to break it up otherwise it will take a year to read it all!
First, here is a letter my mom is writing to South West Airlines after a recent experience she had with them!!!

I recently took a trip to San Francisco with my best friend and chose your airline to get there. We booked our tickets on line over a month in advance and anxiously looked forward to our vacation. On January 2, 2009, we boarded flight 1938 in Austin, Texas. What happened next effected the rest of our trip... and will likely be an appalling memory for the rest of our lives.

Our boarding passes were taken. We were among the first passengers on the plane and we chose seats in the second row from the front. I sat by the window and my best friend, Linda, sat in the middle. We buckled in and waited for the other passengers to take their seats so that we could begin our adventure. At the last minute, a young girl was escorted onto the plane and was seated beside my friend. We then noticed the flight attendants quietly whispering among themselves while they looked at us. We were surprised when one of them came over and asked my friend if she could lower the arm rest of her seat. She did so without question. The two flight attendants conferred again, and again approached us and asked, "Do you need an extension for your seat belt?" (She was already buckled in!!) She answered, "no, thank you, I'm fine." I was offended and upset, but willing to let it go and chalk it up to rude behavior. Unfortunately, the story continues. A few moments later, the same flight attendant approached my friend again and asked her to come forward so that they could speak. She was taken off the airplane and back to the walkway. Another Southwest Airline employee informed the flight attendant that the flight had been overbooked. He was unacknowledged, as she turned her attention to my friend. My friend, who is 6' 1" and weighs 300 pounds, was then told that she would have to purchase another ticket upon landing in Los Angeles. She was told that she did not "fit" in the seat. She was told that because the plane was full and ready to take off, there was no time for her to purchase this second ticket there in Austin, but that upon arriving in LA, she would have to purchase another ticket before boarding our connecting flight to San Francisco.
My friend cried for the next three hours.
During the flight, I took the opportunity to ask one of the flight attendants what she could tell me about the situation. I asked her if there was a weight limit policy and she said there was not, but that it was Southwest's policy to require passengers that needed extra room to purchase two tickets. I understand this... I do not understand why my friend, who did fit in her seat, armrest down, seat belt buckled (no extension necessary) was selected. I asked the flight attendant if a complaint had been made by another passenger. She said no, that this decision had been made by her superior. It was at that point that I requested that an operations supervisor please meet me at the gate upon our arrival. The flight attendant seemed very taken aback by my request and asked me if I was going to deny that my friend could not "fit" comfortably in the seat. She went on to say that she was aware that we had a connecting flight and that while the young girl who had been seated beside my friend was "fine," a full size passenger on our next flight might not be." IF this is your policy, it seems to punish the passenger for what might happen at a later time. Upon our arrival in Los Angeles, we were greeted by Robery Duvenary, ground operations supervisor. I would like to thank Mr. Duvenary for his kind attention and the compassionate and professional way that he handled the situation. He listened attentively and told us that removing a passenger from an airplane for this type of situation was indeed not your policy. We were told that had there been a problem, that problem should have been addressed before boarding and that the passenger would certainly not be asked to purchase another ticket after the flight.I asked for the names and identification numbers of your employees on the plane and they were quickly provided. Vickie #74632 (flight attendant) Jeff #50859 (captain) As we stood in the airport watching non-suspecting passengers load and unload other planes, I couldn't help but notice that my friend is not the only plus-size guest that you serve... so why was she singled out and made to feel as if she were somehow a burden?? Everywhere I looked, there were people that didn't appear to "fit" in your airline seat. Do you discriminate equally? (large people, tall people, crying children, passengers with more than one "correct size" carry on??)When we left this sad situation, apologies were given and promises were made that the situation would be addressed. There was even a $50.00 voucher given to my friend... as if we would ever choose your airline again.I find myself needing more.
Sincerely,
Casey Nelms


I could not believe this...I called my mom to get her to tell me the more animated story, which I laughed my butt off. My mom is extremely hot tempered and if you mess with her or someone she cares about, you should be prepared to put your tail between your legs and go home crying! Obviously, I wasn't laughing at the situation, just my mother's behavior. I think that this was completely uncalled for and will definately make me think twice before flying SWA.

Where's the water???

So two days ago I forgot to mention that we had no water....I was so irritated, we finally got a hold of our landlord who apparently just hasn't been paying the bill. Of course it was after 5:00 so we knew it would be an entire day before we got water back. Grrrr. Luckily he went and paid it first thing yesterday morning and the city turned it back on promptly.
If you read Nikki's Nutshell then you know that she had some sewage back up issues....if you dont already know or haven't figured it out, Nikki and I are neighbors. The day they came to turn the water back on they also decided to do some digging and try to fix the backup problem. All day long there was a giant yellow machine (used for digging...I cant remember the name) parked in my drive way and a huge hole in the yard. I waited for as long as I could before trying to figure out how to manuever my car around it. Luckily they just moved it for me!!! I dont do so well in reverse! Anywhoooo....I was amazed at how deep they had to dig....at least six feet, because when one of the men went into the hole...you could no loner see him! I was amazed at how minimal the damage to the yard turned out...I need to get a picture, but at this point both of my cameras are not working!!!! so sad, so mad!

Extravagant Weekend!

This weekend was a lot of fun, although I didn't get much sleep. Friday was a bad day at work, I didn't get home until 6:45 and then I borrowed JR's truck to head back out to one of the houses on my route that was throwing away a Polaris 4 wheeler, which I thought would be cool. The people I work with are always talking about how they pick up other people's stuff. I mean I guess it makes some sense that if they are throwing it away anyway why not get it for yourself, but for some reason (call me crazy) I find this extremely strange! So for the first time, I found something I wanted. First, I tried getting it into my back seat...it didn't work, because the thing was huge... then I tried my trunk, which I had to try to make my stroller fit into the backseat, which I finally accomplished, only to find out that the 4-wheeler still wouldn't fit in the truck. So I finished my route ran home, go JR's truck headed back out there......IT WAS GONE! Apparently someone else had the same idea, mind you it only took about 35 min. to finish the route get home and get back. Oh well. So I got back home around7:15 went to sleep and woke up at 8:45 to get ready for the bridal extravaganza!

I drove into Houston, picked up Dana, met up with my little sister, and the three of us went to brunch with JR's sisters and a couple of their friends at a place called Farrago, which is in downtown Houston, and is truly great! They had bottomless Momosas for 9$....and let me say, I got my moneys worth! Afterwards, we all headed over to the George R. Brown Convention Center for the Bridal Extravaganza. We watched a few runway shows and visited a few booths. It was really nice just spending time with my sister and friends. The place was completely packed with Brides-to-be and bridesmaids. Luckily I have been before, so I kinda knew what to expect, and I didn't go crazy, this time I actually had a good time! Afterwards, Dana and I went to House of Pies and had a great meal...my 1 1/2 hour of sleep was really setting in, so Dana gave me one of her 5 hour energy drinks before I headed home.

After I got home we went over to Nikki and Travis' to play some cards. It was a lot of fun talking and hanging out with them. I got to talk about babies with Nikki, which I love. Travis won the card game and I came a close second, although no money is awarded for 2nd place:( Anyway, we left their house around 11:30 or so, just in time for me to drink another red bull and head to work.....after about an hour I drank the other 6 hour energy drink that I had picked up on the way. By the time I started loading the car I was feeling pretty sick...It wasn't good! Not to mention that it was sooooooooo cold! The wind was blowing so hard, and I wasn't looking forward to getting in the car with both windows down! The poor motor on the passenger window is probably so worn out, I only rolled it down if it was absolutely necessary and then put it right back up, I also had the heater on as high as it would go. I got home about 7:30 and went straight to sleep and didn't get up again until 6:45 Sunday evening!

Sunday, after I woke up, was pretty lazy, I just waited around until I had to go to work again!
Today, Logan and I played outside, he finally convinced him to let him play in my car...which turned into about an hour and a half, and when I finally got him inside he screamed his little head off! Luckily JR was only about 15 minutes from home! I also talked to my older sister and learned she and my mother started a new years resolution to quit cursing. For every curse word they use, they put a quarter in a jar, and by the end of the year they are going to vegas! Which is kinda funny....because it wont work....I mean if you are trying to quit, then eventually you will actually train yourself to stop after putting so many quarters in a jar, and after a few months you will no longer be contributing to the Vegas fund .....OR.....You are trying to get enough money to go to Vegas, so you actually never quit cursing you keep doing it so that you keep contributing! Anyway, I didn't tell her all that I just laughed and said I hope it works for them...and then reminded her that the other issue is that you cant cash any of the change in until the end of the year, other wise they will probably spend it!

Well now yall are all caught up to this point! Until I blog again!

The New Year - Week 1

Today brings the first week of the new year to an end. So far it has been long but quick. I feel like the week went by so quickly and yet every day seems to drag on. Stress levels are high as they are usually are for me at the beginning of every year. This year is a little different, there are so many things happening this year that I am so excited about, and yet nervous, and stressed about! I have a bunch of weddings to go to...My cousin gets married Feb.8, Our friends Booe and Tyra April 18, followed by Scott and Ashley April 25, and then the big one...We get married June 21. I still have so much to do for my wedding and I am just praying that I can get it all done in time. My friend and neighbor, Nikki, is pregnant! I am so excited for her, in fact the reason I haven't blogged is because I am too busy reading hers! I cant wait, she is already starting to get a little belly...and I do mean LITTLE. She is so cute. Anyway, not much has happened this week, but my mom and my grandmother both have an upcoming birthday on the 14th! I think I am going to get my mom a spa package...scalp massage, foot massage and pedicure, and back massage. My grandmother will probably be getting some sort of plant or tree. Anywho, I am going to the Bridal Extravaganza on Saturday, so that should be some fun...I guess we will see!