Home Again, Home Again...

Back in Illinois!...Well, actually I'm in Indiana for the week, staying with my good friend Alison...I'll explain. I drove from P-Cola, FL to Andrew's on Thursday (left @ 5am!) . We did a quick day and a half of house hunting...then drove to my parent's house. Andrew & my dad worked on building a new deck...My mom worked in the yard...and I packed my bags...again...and left for B-town, IN to take my final Boards and graduate. I got up at 4:30 CST to take my boards at 6:30 CST (I'm whining here if you haven't caught on). They lasted until 10:00 CST...And I am DONE! Graduation is this Friday...we have a couple days of seminars & such...but I am officially done with optometry school! Sweet!My dad gave Andrew his old little motorcycle...needs a little work...but looks like fun!

They weren't real thrilled I was taking their picture...hence no eye contact, pearly whites...etc.

It's Jacque's Birthday!!!

Reagan & Jacque

Happy Birthday Jacque!

Jacque & I have been friends since 2nd grade in Mrs. Stringer's class. Jacque, Zac (her husband), Reagan (her 2 yr. old), and Maggie (the dog) live in Champaign. She has been a wonderful friend over the years and will be a bridesmaid in our upcoming nuptials! Have a fabulous birthday Jacque!

Just Another Day at the Beach

Today was just beautiful! Katie (Hunter) Hensley, her husband Chad and I went to the beach to catch some rays and hear the gulf waves. It was quite relaxing...

Katie and I were on the same fabulous hall at Graceland...Hanthorne! It had been nearly 5 years since we saw each other last. Time sure does fly. Chad is a Youth Minister and Katie is a speech pathologist here in Pensacola.

Just Beautiful!

It was so nice hanging out with Katie again! Thanks Katie!

Christmas Story

Why tell a Christmas story now? I guess it just popped in my head! It's a good story...

This past Christmas was the best Christmas ever...besides, of course, the first!... It's such a convoluted story...Full of surprises...I'll try to make it easy to understand... Andrew's dad got a new motorcycle and wanted to sell his...My dad was interested in buying it...but my mom has never been too excited about motorcycles so he decided not to...BUT my mom secretly bought it for him... At Thanksgiving, during dinner, my dad started teasing my mom about her buying this motorcycle for him...winking at all of us...like he's really funny. Then a couple of weeks before Christmas he told my mom that he had a dream that he was riding a new motorcycle. (He probably just made this up...He likes to tease.) Then a week before Christmas he told her again..."I just know you bought me a motorcycle." My mom called me all worried that John (my brother) or I had told him. Nope! He was just teasing her. So, 3 days before Christmas Jon & Ann (Andrew's parents) drove to Flora to deliver the motorcycle. We hid it in our neighbors garage (Deb & Paul). It was so hard for mom and I not to say anything to dad that evening...but we managed.


Next part of the story...Andrew really wanted Corn Hole boards...some people call it bags (us Hoosiers call it Corn Hole!). My dad built him and John (my brother) boards for Christmas...Andrew's with U of I on it... Andrew wasn't able to come home for Christmas...so we decided to meet Ann & Ellie (Andrew's niece) in a town between our homes at a bridal store to 1) try on wedding gowns & 2) give them Andrew's boards... I was trying on dresses and the lady at the store asked me to put my clothes back on...she had something on the other side of the store to show me and didn't want me to drag a dress on the ground. I rounded the corner...and there was Andrew!!! And his buddy Matt. They drove through the night to make it home for Christmas! It was such a good surprise.

Mom busted in my room Christmas morning with the plan... Andrew, Matt, & I would go over to Deb & Paul's to "deliver a present". Andrew would ride the motorcycle back over to the house with Matt & I blocking him with the truck. While all this was going my mom asked John and my dad to pick up the basement where Andrew & Matt had slept. John was instructed to keep my dad in the basement so the motorcycle could be delivered. She instructed my dad to keep John in the basement so she could set up the Corn Hole boards for John & Andrew. Sneaky! How funny...both of them making small talk...trying to keep each other downstairs!



Once Andrew, Matt, & I got back to the house...we sent Andrew & Matt downstairs to keep dad in the basement. Mom & I hurried to get the boards set up in the garage...right next to the motorcycle...When BAM!, my dad comes flying through the garage door!


He took one look at the motorcycle...back at my mom...then me...and said, "What have you done!?" Smiling ear to ear...At that point I ran inside to get Andrew, John, & Matt...They walked into the garage to see my dad all surprised and BAM! saw the Corn Hole boards... It was crazyville! So much fun. Didn't all work out as planned but it was so worth it...



Hopefully this all made sense...I'm well aware that this was one of those "had to be there moments"...It was one we'll never forget!

One Step Closer

Pensacola Beach
Yea!!! I will never, ever, take another written test again in my life!...Except the occasional driver's test...thinking, thinking,...Yep, that's it! If you can think of any others, keep them to yourself and let me enjoy this thought. My mom drove down to Birmingham, AL to keep me company during the tests. We had a really good time...Thanks Mom!!!

I've got a week and a half left here in Pensacola. I'm excited to hit the beach as much as I can...Can't head back to the Midwest without a tan, can I?!

Andrew is packing up the U-Haul tomorrow and heading out on Monday morning. Our parents are so excited to have us back home...for good, hopefully! And we are too! There's no place like home!

COUNTDOWN: 20 days until graduation

Meet Murphy!

Skyler Short was the coolest dog I'd ever met...until now!!!
Sorry Aim...(Don't let Sky know, okay?) Murphy is wonderful!

How could you resist a face like this?!

"This is my daddy..."

Tired doggie.

Just to be fair, here's a picture of the 2nd coolest dog in the world.
Skyler Short, proud companion of Amy & Adam...I wonder if he'll take on Adam's last name after the wedding???

How could I leave out Ted?! Sorry Ted! (puppy formally known as Teddy)
Da was ~8.5 months pregnant here...and I had just driven from Utah to Missouri. I'm not saying we look bad...I'm just saying we've looked better! Ted, of course, looks fabulous. :)

New Blogger!

Well,...I guess I'll try this blog thing. I don't know how exciting it'll be...but hopefully some day something exciting will happen and be worth posting! :)

Andrew & I had a wonderful Easter weekend in Pensacola, FL. Andrew is finishing his last week in the U.S. Navy!!! He'll leave sunny Jacksonville for good 'ole Du Quoin, Illinois on the 16th. We're all so proud of him for serving and ready for him to move on home. He'll start summer school at SIU in June. We went shopping and got him all new school clothes (the boy hadn't had new clothes since boot camp). Now all he needs is a trapper-keeper and he is set!

I've got 17 more days here in Pensacola and 26 days until graduation...as if the countdown didn't give it away...I'm anxious...very anxious. This Thursday and Friday I take a portion of Part III of my national boards. I'm having a very hard time studying... We shall see...I MUST pass!