The good times...

I have a little bad habit of focusing on the rough things in life. I started this blog as a focus on the positives in my life, and lately every time I get the urge to blog, I just want to vent about junk. Hence the reason there hasn't been a lot of blogging going on around here. 

There has been a decent amount of junk lately, but I won't give in. Instead, I'm going to share some of my favorite things from the past few weeks.

Jamie at our campsite

Orangeleaf!!!

Valentine's Day Dinner at the Melting Pot.

Jamie stuffing his face with Orangeleaf. =)

My Dress for my sister's wedding!!!! So excited!

Qdoba with my love.

My beautiful flowering bush in front of my house. =)

Bazbeaux pizza!!!

Best camping dinner EVER.

(P.S. I originally posted this from my iPhone app, so I had to go add the captions later.  And that's why they are strangely out of order.)

♥

I need sleep...

Haven't been sleeping well again. 

This is becoming a recurring problem. 

I think it's because I've been stressed about school, 

plus I was up until 2AM on Tuesday finishing a paper, and had to get up at 7AM Wednesday morning.

But, i got that one turned in yesterday, and now I just have one paper between myself and student teaching.

I'm so ready to start student teaching, 

Graduation is so close. 

After we turned in our papers yesterday morning, we literally had discussions and presentations for the rest of the day.

Can you tell where my mind was?

This past Saturday we spent 10+ hours driving to Joliet, IL, to get Jamie's new motorcycle!

A lot of people don't know this, 

but he sold his first one to pay for my engagement ring. 

I love that man.

So we have been saving up, and he is more excited about his bike than he's been about anything in a while.

Unfortunately, it has been snowy and rainy and freezing since he bought it.

Which is kind of lame.

But, I just keep telling him he'll have every summer for years to come to ride it, so just be patient a little longer. 

He named it Mila, after Mila Kunis, hahaha.

Jamie and I are celebrating a belated Valentine's day this weekend, with a homemade fondue night!

We normally go to The Melting Pot (If you haven't been there, go, it's amazing)

but this year we just wanted to keep it simple. 

He also left this rose for me Tuesday Morning, which was very sweet. 

I hope everyone had a good Valentine's day!

I'm off to cook some lunch. 

♥

Oh happy day!

Guess who got a new iphone 4G for valentine's day, 

AND

Got off work an hour early?

THIS GIRL!

 I also found the cutest new blog to follow:

Good Day Sunshine

On it, she had a link to Brigada Creativa,

where she found this super cute calendar!

You fill in a portion of the heart for the day based on the time you have spent/type of interaction with your significant other!

I think it is so cute!

Well, I'm off to put my music, contacts, etc. onto my new phone!

♥

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

Jamie and I usually don't make a big deal out of Valentine's day, simply because it's not our style, but I have a feeling Jamie has something really big planned this year.

I am getting really, really excited for Saturday night. 

So, last night I made him these!

They are funfetti with Cherry icing!

He loves them!

And then today, I had a rough day. 

I went to lunch for my student teaching, and, in a bad, rough area of the city, (38th and Emerson, for those of you who are familiar with it), 45 minutes from my house, I locked my keys in my car.

Yep. Seriously.

Luckly, one of the teachers from the school also went to lunch there, and he and another patron of that Subway were able to get it open with a wire hanger. 

Yeah, I was definitely thanking God for that one. 

And, some of the stories of where the kids in my class come from, what they have been through, and how much they are struggling were just really, really wearing on me. By the end of the day, I was an emotional wreck. (yes, part of that is from only having 4 hours of sleep. But still)

After school, I went to my parent's house, and we went out for my mom's birthday!

(Since it is after midnight, I guess her birthday was technically yesterday, but oh well.) 

We went to their favorite sushi house, and they ate sushi, and I ate hibachi chicken.  

My stepdad told the workers that it was her birthday, and this is what happened:

hahaha, good thing she is a good sport! My stepdad loved it. =)

Then, when I got home, this is what was waiting for me:

I love my husband. 

These seriously made me smile so big. 

Despite all of the bad things, today was a good day because it reminded me of just how lucky I am to have such wonderful people to call family.

I feel blessed.

♥