#71: Wedding

Phil was in a wedding today. So many weddings lately! Anyway, I love when we get to take nice formal pictures together. I made sure to wear the same color as Phil :-) Aren't we cute!

#70: Wedding Dress

Today I finally got my wedding dress back from my dad's house. And of course, I immediately tried it on when I got home. Who wouldn't?! I was shocked to discover that the thing still fit me. I was certain that I had gained an abundance of pounds since my wedding day, but to my surprise (and delight) it just wasn't true! And I totally forgot how much I LOVE this dress!
Phil and I are going to get some more pictures taken in our wedding attire. We really don't have any pictures of just the two of us from our wedding, so it will be nice to get some. And now that I know that my dress still fits me... Woohoo!!!

#69: Talking Bird

This is Ariel. He is my mom's bird. Ariel is funny, at times, but for the majority of the time he is loud and obnoxious. He likes to yell a lot and make really annoying squaking noises. But, he is a bird and that's natural for a bird. So I'll let it slide.
Ariel's favorite things to say are:
"Saaaarrrraaaah!!!"
"Are you hungry?"
"Mama loves that Baby"
And he will also say "Hello" when the phone rings. And then he will proceed to say "okay. okay. okay. Yeah. Uh-huh. okay. okay"....like he is really talking to someone on the phone.
It's hilarious!!

No Internet

Unfortunately our free internet has met its demise. This is why I haven't posted any pictures all week. We have decided that internet is important enough to us that we will begin paying for it ourselves (another adult decision. Go us!). But we won't get it until next week.

I am at Starbucks right now, utilizing the free internet service they provide. Maybe we should move next to a Starbucks...? Unfortunately though, I have forgotten my camera at home. So, still no pictures will be posted.

Until further notice, just use your imaginations as to what I have been seeing every day. Actually, it's nothing impressive at all.

#68: Slippers

These are my favorite foot wear. I realized today that I wear these things ALL the time. As soon as I get out of bed in the morning, the slippers are on. As soon as I get home from where ever I have been, the slippers go on. I've had these things for many many years. I'm not entirely sure when I got them. But I know I had them in college.
I wish that I could wear them to work. Maybe one day I will try it. The handbook doesn't say anything about slippers!

#67: Broken Goblet

I broke my wedding goblet!!! It just tipped over on the counter and busted in half. I was disappointed. I made one for me and one for Phil, for our wedding. Hopefully I'll  be able to glue it back together. Phil said that we can just go make another one. Actually, what he said is that we can make one every year, for our anniversary. We are going to have so many goblets!!!

#66: Who put leaves under our bushes?!

Phil and I came home one day to find that our lawn had been raked and all of the leaves were under our bushes. Huh? That's weird. We still aren't sure who did it, or why they would put them there. But....there they are. And there they remain.

#65: Lunch with a Friend

I love when I get a chance to hang out with a friend, one-on-one. It is so nice and lovely. Today I got to hang out with Kristin. We went to Panera because it's Kristin's favorite place to eat. I'm not fan, but I did manage to find something that I liked. So win win!

#64: Apple

That's right. It's an apple. I ate this for lunch. 

( I just couldn't think of anything else to take a picture of today)

#63: Love is....

I fully agree with this coffee mug!

#62: Old Stories, Creepy Kid

I was going through a box of papers and such I had from grade school, only to discover that I was kind of a creepy kid. I was reading some of my old stories I had written, and they are all a little bit morbid in some way. I wrote a story, complete with pictures, about a squirrel getting electrocuted. I wrote about my friends and I going to summer camp, and for whatever reason the mob shows up and kidnaps everyone in hopes of getting a ransom from our parents. In the end, the mob gets away and the FBI kills all of the campers thinking that they are the mob. What?! That's just bonkers.
I think I had a few issues or something. I'm not entirely sure why everything I wrote was so tragic. Interesting. Or at least a little bit concerning.

#61: Prom Dress Shopping

I know what you're thinking. I'm too old to go to Prom. But it was such a glorious time, I want to relive it!!!
Well obviously I'm joking. Prom, and everything to do with high school, was anything but glorious. Of course, I somehow managed to get on prom court, and then was voted prom queen. I'm still not sure how that happened. But regardless, those years were anything but glorious. I would not care to relive that.

But anyway, no this prom dress shopping was for my friend Michelle. She was in need of a beautiful dress to wear, so we traveled to St. Louis in hopes of finding the perfect dress.
Michelle must be an easy shopper, because she found her dress almost immediately. Of course, like any girl, she wanted to try on the whole store before she actually admitting she loved one of the first ones she tried on.

A successful prom dress shopping extravaganza!!

#60: Double Shifting it

My poor feet! Today I had to work a double shift. Working 12 hours in a retail store is no fun. My manager couldn't come in for the evening shift and I couldn't bribe anyone else to come in, so I was stuck working that shift as well. I came in at 9:30 this morning and finally got off at 9:30 tonight. It was agonizing!!

And to make matters worse, the weather outside was terrible so no one was coming into the store. Apparently they thought saving their lives and seeking shelter from the tornado was more important. Who does that?!

I'm starting to feel like I live at Christopher and Banks. I even dream about work, which makes it so much worse.

On a side note: Wearing sandals to work does not keep your feet from hurting.

#59: Old Passport, Meet New Passport

Well, I guess I should have just waited a few more days before I got all distraught about not getting back my old passport. Apparently they don't mail them together. Weird. But whatever they want to do, I guess. I was so excited to get back my old passport. Obviously, the new one has some living to do in order to even remotely resemble the old one...which looks like it has been through the ringer a time or two.

Let's reminisce about where the old passport has taken me through the years:
Panama. My first trip out of the country.
Costa Rica
Thailand
Japan (just the airport though, no stamp)
Peru (twice)
Columbia (just the airport though, no stamp)
Dominican Republic
Kenya
London (just the airport again)
The Caribbean
Canada. Does Canada count?

The old passport has been to so many places, and I just hope that the new proves to be as faithful.

#58: Out with the plastic, in with the sun

We finally took the plastic off our windows! It's so amazing what the sun can do for you. I love opening up the curtains and the window shades and letting the light pour in. It is just wonderful and it makes me feel so much better about life. Not to mention the cost effective-ness of not having to turn on the lights. This place is so bright without the plastic covering up the beautiful sunlight!

#57:NOW it's official

Well, I am officially Sarah Kemp! Okay, so I'm quite aware that I have officially been Sarah Kemp for almost a year now. But not all of my documents had my new last name. Until today. Today I got my new passport in the mail, and so I am Sarah Kemp on all of my documents! I don't know why it is so exciting, but it is.

On a sad note though, they didn't not send back my old passport. So I am pretty bummed about that. I have traveled to many places and I had a lot of stamps in there. I would have liked to keep it.

#56: Home at last!

Finally! I made it home. This is a picture taken from inside my house...safe at last!

I had to run to Walmart after work today to pick up some much needed items. I wasn't aware how terrible the weather would become. I saw that the sky looked ominous, but I didn't know it was so bad. Well unfortunately for me, just as I was about to check out, they made everyone go to the back of the store. It was hailing so loud I thought the roof my come down on us. It didn't. I was stuck in Walmart...one of my worst fears (that was actually going to be the title, but I felt such relief from being home that I put that instead).
Anyway, they eventually let us go and I added flashlights to my list. But once I got outside it started hailing again and pouring down rain. I sped all the way home. Yeah, hindsight tells me that probably wasn't a great idea in this weather. But I was...well, I'll just admit...I was scared!

But I'm home now. And I have my flashlights, my tea, my books, and a basement (which just so happens to be my kitchen!). So I'm all set in case that tornado wants to come back.

#55: Bye bye post wedding weight!

It makes me sick to admit it, but yes, I am one of the woman that gained weight after getting married. It's the sad truth. I'm not about to divulge how much weight I gained, but lets just say its in the double digits. It's maddening! I'm frustrated and disgusted and bummed...and a whole slew of other things.
But today I stop complaining and today I start doing something about it.

Diet and exercise....here I come! I'm cutting out the junk food, and I'm going to be exercising every morning. And now that I've posted it on here, I'm going to have to stick with it.

So here's to sticking with it *raises slim fast can* Cheers!

#54: A great ending to a horrible day

That's right...new furniture! Well, new to me and Phil. My dad surprised me today by asking me if I wanted his leather couch and chair. Uhhh YEAH! Of course I want it. It's awesome!

Okay, but that's just the awesome ending. Now for the horrible rest of the day:

I had to open at work this morning. No big deal, really. Well today my stomach was acting up. It was not being pleasant to me at all, and I felt absolutely miserable. On top of that, I decided that it would be a great time to stop drinking caffeine. Maybe I was having one of those crazy moments, I'm not really sure. But it was a dumb idea. By about 2:00 p.m my head hurt so bad I thought it might explode. No one had any Tylenol or any kind of medicine at all. I felt doomed.
Finally the next manager came in at 4:30. I asked if she'd be okay if I left early since I felt like crap, and she didn't seem to mind. So I did. By then I was starting to feel queasy.

I got in my car and remember that I needed to get gas...I thought I was running out on the way to work this morning. Well, I drove a few feet and the car died.  I WAS running out of gas this morning.
Crap! No literally...I felt like I was going to poop my pants, my stomach was hurting so bad. I texted my dad to tell him I was out of gas and needed help, and my younger brother came to save the day. In the meantime, I needed to take care of this caffeine headache and this disturbance in my stomach.
I went back inside to get coffee from Gloria Jeans. Maybe that would help. Well just my luck, I forgot my wallet at home. I wouldn't have been able to get gas anyway!
As I was leaving to go  back to my car, I felt this overwhelming urge in my stomach. I felt like I was going to have diarrhea and throw up at the same time. I managed to make it to the bathroom....and...well, that's just what happened. It wasn't pretty. It was absolutely horrible.
I went back out to the car to await my rescue.
Jake finally came and put a bit of gas in my tank and then we went to my house where I preceded to take lots of medicine and laid down while we waited for my dad to come and bring me my awesome new furniture.

And now... I feel so elated that we actually have real furniture! I've never had a matching couch and chair before, so this is totally awesome! I feel like a real grown up for some odd reason.

#53: Guatemalan Worry Dolls

My friend Danielle gave me this little worry dolls. Apparently the Guatemalans have a legend that goes a little something like this: If you have problem or a worry, then you share it with a doll. You tell each doll one worry and then you put them under your pillow when you go to sleep. While you're sleeping, the dolls will take away your worries.
I was looking at them today thinking about how wonderful it would be if that were really true. I'm almost tempted to try it. But, I think Phil would be totally creeped out if he found tiny dolls under our pillows.

#52: A much needed break

Today Jake and I visited my mom and Nolan! It was a nice time to just get away and see my mama. I had worked 7 days in a row, and it was time for a little vacation (even if it did only last a day). It was the much needed break I had been looking for. But, now that that's over, back to the grind of working my life away.

#51: My new View

The other day Jenna and I were talking about how much we loved these kind of trees, and how we just really wanted to have one in our yards when we get our own houses. They are so pretty, and vibrant and they just seem to represent summer and newness. I love these trees because that means it is getting warmer outside. And I always feel better when it's warm out.

And then this morning I discovered that my neighbor has this tree in their yard! I was so excited. It was wonderful to walk out of the door and just see this gorgeous blooming tree right in front of me. What a spectacular view! When did this tree blossom? I don't remember it yesterday. And I don't remember it being there last year....

#50: My dad's wedding

Today my dad got married. I actually only took pictures right at the beginning and then I just sort of forgot about the camera. So, this is really all that there is to document the day.
I invited my friends to come along for the reception and it was fun with all of them there. We had a good time sitting at the back table and just chatting it up (with the occasional sip of wine or whatever it was they were serving).

#49: Random items found while cleaning

Today I decided to clean. It has been seven days since I've had a day off, and it was obvious by the way the house looked.
These are the random items that I discovered in various places:

-Drivers license I lost many years ago. I searched high and low for that thing, and never found it. I ended up having to get a new one. Now what am I supposed to do with it?
-Ticket I got for driving 85 in a 65. Yikes! I was crazy person back in the day
-Kmart rewards card. I'm not sure why I have this. I never shop at Kmart. I think I snagged it up that short time I worked there (for almost 2 months).
-Chewy bar. This one is just disgusting. It is all mushy and just looks plain ol nasty. Who knows how long it's been hiding.
-Stethoscope. I got this thing when I started working at Memorial in 2007. I'm not entirely sure why I still have it. But apparently I do. I found it in an old purse.
-Keys. Now I have absolutely no idea what these keys go to, or why I have them. It's a mystery to me. Do I keep them because I might find out what they go to some day? Or do I get rid of them because that day will probably never come? Who knows.

Random items. Random posts. This is my life.

Life as a married woman?

I was looking at my blog today, and I came to realize that it's not really about being a married woman. I think I've written one or two posts about being married, but that's really it. So I've decided that I either need to change my blog title, or I need to start writing about marriage.

I'm still unsure of which to do.

I am a married woman. And I do have some experiences and stories about being married. I might even have some insight! So maybe I'll stick with the title and write more about my life...as a married woman.

Here's a story to begin. Again.

Why we need a bigger bed:

This morning I was awaken by some yelling, an elbow thrust into my face and me about having a heart attack. My lovely husband was the culprit.

After my heart rate had gone back down and the look of terror had subsided from my face, I found out why Phil had attacked while I was sleeping. Turns out, he had a weird dream in which he was trying to order food from McDonald's, but the lady wouldn't let him order. So he attacked her?!

Here's how the dream went:

Phil went to McDonald's with me and some famous people (?). We had to leave promptly at 7 so that we could make it in time for some concert in the park. When we got to MacDonald's, Phil's mom happened to be there too, so he was talking to her while everyone else ordered. She was talking to him about breath mints, but not just any breath mints! Breath mints that were actually jelly beans!

Anyway, he finally went up to the register to order, and the lady told him that he couldn't. He had to wait until 7 to order. He said he had to leave by 7 to make it to the concert. But she still refused. Apparently she got up in his face and yelled at him and pushed him a little. And I guess that's when Phil became this angry person and started yelling and punching....IN REAL LIFE!

If that's not the funniest thing ever, I don't know what is. Okay, so maybe the elbow to the face wasn't that great, but it was still comical. And that is why we need a bigger bed! If we had a bigger bed I feel like Phil could have his side and I could have mine. And then when he has weird dreams and acts them out, I don't have to fear for my life.

#48: My Life in a Calendar

I realized today that my life revolves around this tiny calendar. I live by this little book. If it's not in here, it's not happening. I look at this thing and I feel old for some reason. "Oh wait, let me check my schedule and see if I'm free that day." It's a nuisance. Whatever happened to the carefree days when I just did whatever I wanted whenever I wanted? I didn't have to have everything written out for me weeks in advance. I just went with the flow.
But now...now I have to work around a schedule. I have to know weeks in advance if I need to take off of work. It's even harder when I'm trying to work around Phil's schedule as well. It's almost impossible to plan things these days.
But I suppose responsibility comes with age. Or maybe age comes with responsibility. I don't know. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that my life is now in this calendar and I DON'T LIKE IT ONE BIT!

#47: Annoying Rug

I got this rug at the dollar store (not for a $1, how weird) because I thought that it would go perfect in front of the door. It matches the living room, and I also wanted a place to wipe our muddy shoes (not that I would be happy with mud on my rug).
Unfortunately though, my plans for this rug have backfired. This thing has caused me nothing but grief. It looks great in front of the door, but when someone tries to open the door, the stupid rug gets stuck and tries to fold over for whatever reason. And then the rug gets jammed underneath the door and I'm either stuck inside the house or stuck outside. I've managed to work around this issue for awhile now by just moving the rug about a few inches away from the door. It may look silly, but it's still in front of the door where it belongs.
Well, not anymore! Today I was running late for work and this rug just had to get stuck under the door! I was so frustrated that I just threw the rug across the room.
It's still in that same spot. The spot I took the picture in. I'm not sure if I'll move it back.

#46: Lovely Letter

Phil and I started sponsoring a little girl from Haiti, through VisionTrust. Today we got a letter from her! It is absolutely adorable! She is only 4. I love her drawings, although I can't for the life of me, figure out what it is!

#45: Cold Tangerines

I got this book from my college Roomy. She won a signed copy, but already had the book. I didn't have the book, but wanted it. And...here it is now!
I've read about half of it. Here's the thing. I've been so overly emotional this week (another story for another time), that I can hardly get through a chapter without sobbing. Ridiculous, I know. I'm still trying to figure out what's going on.
But besides the constant crying, the book is great! I love this Shauna Niequist. I wish that she could be my mentor. I think that we would really get along great. I have similar stories and thoughts. I think I want to be like her. Or maybe I already am like her. I don't know. I just really like her books (even if they do make me cry).

And no, in case you were wondering, Phil will not allow me to read this book to him. He has a hard enough time with the other book. And who knows what kind of accent I would come up with on this one!

#44: Bedtime Story

Day two of no television or video games: Phil is getting ancy and slightly irritable. What's he supposed to do when he gets off of work?  How is he supposed to destress?

Well, Sarah to the rescue! I've come up with an alternative that is both exciting and educational (Okay, maybe not quite so educational depending on the book)! I will read Phil and bedtime story!
I chose The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy because I think it is utterly amazing, and I desperately want Phil to feel the same way I do. I'm hoping this book will give him a little bit of insight into who I really am.

Of course, I'm not sure how well this is going over. So far he seems uninterested. He gets distracted easily and wants to know if we have any snacks, or why I'm reading in a weird British accent.

But I shall press on!

#43: The TV is off for good (I wish)

Phil and I decided that we needed to take a  break from the television and video games (video games for Phil), and get back to what life is really about. I'm still not sure what the whole "life is really about" thing. I just made that up.
Anyway, we thought that, for the sake of our marriage we needed to turn off the t.v. and the video games for several days. So today we did that. And tonight, after work, it was really boring. But after awhile it wasn't so bad. And I think it's just what Phil and I really need because we hardly get to see each other as it is. I work from 9am-5pm and he works from 1:30pm-10pm. He works full time, and these last few weeks I have also been working full time, so it's rare that we actually get to spend quality time together. I HATE IT!
But turning the t.v. and the video games off for awhile should be super beneficial. Here's to hoping!

#42: Wedding Reception minus the Wedding

NOT YET PICTURED

 (I had mi amiga take some pictures this night, but I have yet to get them. 

So, until further notice, use your imagination!)

A friend of mine invited me to a wedding reception. The only catch was, there was not an actual wedding. Her church decided that they needed to hold some activities where the different generations could come together and mingle. What better way than a wedding reception! So they held a wedding reception and invited people to wear old bridesmaid dresses, old wedding dresses, prom dresses, jeans, whatever the heck they wanted. They had several different cakes, lots of music and dancing, and everyone seemed to have a great time.

Everyone but me, that is. I had some minor stomach issues and left early because I felt all vomit-y. Odd. The last few days I have had some severe stomach related problems, but there is no need to go into great detail here (I've done that before!).