"Windows are rolled down.."

Sorry to have neglected you, friends. 

This is how I know my life is too busy: I have been trying to find time to blog since Thursday. And it's Sunday. Seriously.

I'm going to regret this tomorrow, I can already tell, because I have to work 8-6. But, I need my me time, and this appears to be the only time I can get it. 

As Jamie says "I'll sleep when I'm dead."

Hahaha, that reassures me on the nights when I only get 4 hours of sleep. Not. 

You all remember my post about the amazing, awesome, wonderful ice storm right?

Well, that wonderful storm got me an entire week off of school. A WHOLE WEEK. 

It was amazing.

This is what I did for those three days. 

By the end of my three days, I was starting to feel kind of lazy, so I did the dishes and some laundry. And then I watched more movies. 

I guess I am just a person who needs my down time.

It was awesome.

I also got to spend those mornings with Jamie, which was wonderful. He didn't have class either. We slept in, and cuddled, and then made breakfast, and then hungout. We haven't done that practically since summer.

I will say that by being out of school, there were some problems caused at work, because even though the schools were shut down, they expected people to brave the weather and come in even though they weren't scheduled. It created a mess, but hopefully the worst is over. Hopefully.

Then yesterday, I worked until 4, and then we picked up Natalie and took her shopping at the mall.  She bought some hats at Hot Topic, and we just hung out. It was nice to spend time with her, and she needs all of the support and positive influencing that she can get right now. 

Then we went out to dinner with my whole immediate family (which is amazing in itself, because we all work ridiculous schedules) to congratulate my little sister and her new fiance. We took Nat along, and I think she enjoyed it. She spent the night with us last night, and we took her to church this morning with us, which is definitely good for her. 

I also found out that my friend CJ is coming home for a whole month on April 9th!!! I am so excited about this, I can't wait to see him. 

He has been one of my best friends for many years (this is a picture of us in high school) and I am so excited to get to actually see him in person, instead of through skype. He has lived in Pensacola for the last year because he's in the Navy, and at the end of the month, he'll be transfered to North Carolina for three years.

And, more good news, we are going to see Amos Lee in concert at the end of March!! 

I bought our tickets and his new CD last night! I now have all four, and I love them all.

I haven't been to a concert in a while, I am really excited about this one. 

If you are interested in hearing his first release from the new album,

Click Here.

I love it.

So hopefully, with all of these positives, and after a refreshing week, I can survive this next one.

Hopefully.

♥ 

Thank God for ice storms.

I truly thought this weekend would break me. 

I didn't think I was going to be able to make it through this week because of it. 

I can't speak of all of the details, as it is still ongoing, but we will soon be enduring a very major custody battle of our 13 year old niece Natalie. 

A ridiculous breakdown of events happened this weekend, that led to the police being called once. To protect Nat from the two fighting parties, particularly the one who currently has custody, we had her a lot this weekend. 

I had already had a really long week, with no more than 6 hours of sleep each night. I was one tired lady.

I was supposed to do homework on saturday, but we ended up rushing out to get her a working phone, and then I had to go to work until midnight.

When I got home, Jamie and I stayed up brainstorming until almost 2AM what we could do to help, and because we were too stressed about it to sleep. 

Then we got up at 6 AM yesterday morning for church, and went and picked Natalie up beforehand. 

So, we had her all day, and then I had to work at 4, so I had literally no time for anything, including a nap, which was desperately needed. We kept Nat last night too, the poor thing slept on our couch.  Then again, with only 5 hours of sleep, I got up this morning and went to work for 9 hours, as my poor husband got up and drove her 30 minutes to school. 

The worst part about it all, worse than the sleep-deprivation migraine I had all day today, the tears I shed over stress for Nat, or the just plain feeling crappy, was the daunting, totally awful feeling that it didn't even matter that I got off at 5, I had a ridiculous amount of homework to do that would without a doubt keep me up until the wee hours of the morning, and had to get up at 6 AM tomorrow, and go to class all day. And then do more homework. And then do it again Wednesday, and then Thursday. 

I was praying all day, though the tears, through the pain in my back, feet, and head, for God to give me the strength to get through it.  To not let me quit. To keep me going, through the pain, to finish what I started, and be strong for both my niece and my husband.

And he did one better.

This ice storm may be a huge inconvenience for you, and I'm sorry about that.

But this ice storm cancelled school tomorrow.

Hallelujah.

Now, I can sleep tonight, spend the morning with my husband which is so DESPERATELY needed, and then have the whole afternoon and evening to do homework for Wednesday and Thursday.

This ice storm is truly an answered prayer. 

And I am so, so unbelievably thankful for it.

♥

happy feelings

Feeling good this morning.

Had a really good night's sleep.

My house is spotless.

I cleaned from 2 to 8 yesterday, without stopping.

Scrubbed the bathrooms top to bottom, picked up, dusted, and swept every room, and cleaned the kitchen like there was no tomorrow.

I was exhausted afterwards, but felt really accomplished.

Oh, and I also got all of the dishes, and all of the laundry in the whole house done.

Turns out it was a really good thing I did. Jamie's brother and sister-in-law called this morning and said that they are staying here tonight so they don't have to drive home between the visitation and funeral for Nan.

I feel that he is very critical of me as a wife, and was just making comments the other day about how he "hoped that I was keeping the house fixed up."

Well, ha.

It's clean.

On a funny note, it stormed during my cleaning. Minnie is super afraid of storms, and typically stays right under my feet the whole time. While i was hanging clothes up, I realized she wasn't with me anymore. I started looking for her, and this is where I found her.

hahaha, i guess she missed her dad.

I Love her.

We have a busy week ahead of us.

Taking Jamie's other brother to the SS office to become his registered payee.

Don't ask.

It's a long and complicated story.

I am also going to be Natalie's official payee.

That I am happy about, because we both really want to start spending more time with her, and helping her out.

She needs all of the positive role models she can get.

I am getting my hair cut too.

Excited and a little nervous.

It's going to be a big change, but I am feeling the need to do something different.

I will probably just grow it back out over winter, though.

=)

I changed my mind on the cookbook.

I am getting this one instead.

It looks like the recipe's are much simpler, and will take less time, which is what I need.

Can't wait until it gets here!

For real this time.

=)

Excited.

Still haven't done any homework.

Not good.

♥

Minnie Mouse the Scaredy Cat

I had to get up at 8:30 this morning (Early when you work until midnight most nights) because my dog Minnie is afraid of thunder, and she was crying. So, she came to bed w/ mommy. She is not usually allowed in the bedroom, let alone the bed, so this was a treat for her, until daddy got home. lol

She's a punk, but I love her.

I have to go buy groceries today. wooohooo. Its going to be a rough week, our grocery budget is very low. Hopefully I can get enough to get us to friday, because both our paychecks come this week.

It sucks to try and budget for two inconsistent paychecks, one of which comes every friday, and one that comes every other Tuesday. lol

Looks like I will be returning to my old faithful friend, Aldi's.

I also have to get new work shoes, and that has to come out of emergency savings, because they are essential. My current work shoes have a hole in the bottom, and the soles are ripping off. let me tell you, it sucks working 8 hour shifts in those bad boys.

Ready for Jamie to stop working nights, I miss him.

But, we both have this friday night off, so hopefully that means another date night!

Excited!

♥