Aww the wait is almost over :)

Well we leave for Disney tomorrow and I am so excited. I know my daughter and her BBF can hardly contain their excitement. I really feel for BFF's mom tonight. I am truly thankful that BFF's mom is bringing the girls have this way the trip is not as long. We are only driving to Valdosta, Ga tomorrow night. I really do not want to be on the roads when the drunks are out.

Tomorrow I will be married to my best friend for 13 years and this year was 14 years of being together. I love him more and more each day. He is the perfect for me. Thanks for some of the best years of my life. For being a wonderful father, a caring and nurturing husband and above all my friend. Love you.

DISNEY HERE WE COME!!!!

So as many of you know we are off to Disney. I cannot promise that I will be blogging while we are there but if I do I will be sure to include some pictures.

HAPPY NEW YEAR and may this year bring you many joys.

Friday's coming up fast..

I am so excited about this upcoming Disney trip. I am finishing up the laundry and the remainder of the packing just to pass the time. Only two more days of work after tonight which I could not be happier about. I love my job but I am so ready for vacation.

I have decided that visiting family is not a vacation it is a lot of work house hoping and if you add in visiting with friends that is more running around. It seems like every trip I am coming home with a cold. Gotta love those little germ factories. I am starting to feel slightly better but the cough really sucks. More tea and homemade chicken and rice soup for me.

I guess I really should get back to work.

Well..

It looks like it is going to be a long four days. I am battling a minor chest cold and we leave for Florida on Friday. It really doesn't matter all that much because I am going come hell or high water and even then I would still go.

It is truly amazing how much we love Disney. I mean we get depressed when we miss a scheduled trip and this time we are buying annual passes. Yes you read that right annual passes. I am super excited. Many trips to come this year and I am lovin it.

Now back to this cold thing. I think I am going to continue with the tea and all natural cough drops plus plenty of rest and soup and I should start to feel better in no time. It really stinks that I have has asthma all my life and now that I have that mostly under control every time we visit family with pets I end up with a minor flare up and a cough/chest cold. I love my family but I am going to have to figure this out. Because this is truly getting old.

Well until next time enjoy the moments you have alone and with family.

What a Great Christmas Visit.

We had a lovely visit to South Bend. I got to see all my nieces and nephews. They were such a trip to watch. Natalie is now 13 and yes she still gets excited about Christmas and presents but little ones just go gaga for things. My one nephew open lego's and he said" oh yeah oh baby oh yeah oh baby" while he was doing the happy dance. It was so funny.

We are now in count down to Disney. We leave Friday which is my 13th wedding anniversary. I have the best husband. I could not ask for a better man for me. He has taken care of me for the last 14 years. He is my shoulder to cry one, the one that encourages me to follow my dreams and I know I will have many wonderful years ahead.

Yippee We leave tomorrow for The Bend

I have a lot to get finished before we leave for South Bend tomorrow. Clean the house, put name tags on all the presents, finish packing, work and not to mention a million little details that I know I am forgetting. I am also going to try and squeeze in time to make rice crispy treats and pumpkin muffins tonight.

I love the fact that we are going to get to spend the this time with family. Memories will be made and hundreds of photos will be taken but I will just enjoy all the moments in between. Then after Christmas there will be about a week before we head off to Disney. I am so excited.

I really need this time away and not to mention Disney is my all time favorite place. We are getting annual passes and yup you guessed it that means anytime I have off I am going to WDW. I know I am completely insane but I am glad that I have a husband who is just as crazy as me.

Merry Christmas

Sledding

Today we took Natalie and her friend Lexi out sledding and I have to say it was a lot of fun. I do not remember the last time we went sledding. Natalie had a wipe out and we raced down the hill to see who go get the farthest. This has been a great visit for Lexi. The girls have went ice skating, bowling, and the also attended a couple activities here at the apartment.

Tomorrow we are covering the office so the other HA's can go to a Holiday party and then we leave for South Bend on Wednesday morning. I am so excited and ready to spend some time with Friends on Thursday. I know these trips home are precious so like always I am going to pack in as much as possible.

Have a very Merry Christmas and I will probably will not update until after Christmas.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies

Today is going to be cookies baking day. I have loads of cookies to bake and less time to do it. We decided to head into town on Wednesday instead of Thursday this way we can spend a little more time with friends and family. I am hoping to relax a little too but that never seems to happen.

I think I am finally on the mend after being sick for the last four days. I really hate being under the weather that just means things pile up and more work for me later. I am really excited to be making some die cuts for my friend Ann and hopefully I will have the all made by the end of tonight so I can email her some pictures.

A million and one things still left to do before we head to Florida on Jan 1st but I am so flipping excited I can't stand it. Well friends and family have a Wonderful Christmas.

Let's Hope I feel Better Soon

SO I finish out the week with a nice head cold. I am sick of taking meds and I am exhausted and all I really did was sleep yesterday. I am thankful for the other Housing Assistants, they are covering the remainder of my shift today so I can get some rest. Nate is on his way back from picking up Lexi so this means I have to feel better to make cookies tomorrow. Well I am going to lay on the couch for a bit and hope to feel better.

Count Down to Christmas Begins

So the count down begins. I have a million things left to do before we head home next Thursday. Tomorrow my husband and Natalie are driving have way to South Bend to pick up Natalie's friend and she will be with us until we come to Dec 23rd when we come up to South Bend.

I am so happy for Natalie that she will have someone to hang out with for this next week and this also means I have helpers when it comes to baking, cleaning and packing. Yes I am using child labor and I am proud of it. They will be paid well in cookies. LoL

All in all everything and everyone is doing good. I am waiting for a couple grades to get turned in and that wont be until Monday. I am thankful that I waited to get sick until after all my finals this week. I am suffering with a darn head cold YUCK...

Here is to a good weekend of baking and relaxing.

Last Final Today

I am so flippin happy that today is my last final. Besides turning in a paper tomorrow I am finished with the darn semester at 11am. THANK GOODNESS... I really want to kick the holiday spirit into high gear. My apartment needs a maid and I need to bake a truck of cookie. I have to finish wrapping presents and get things ready to go home for Christmas.

One of Natalie's good friends is coming down on Friday and staying with us until Dec 23rd. We are all real excited. They are going ice skating and to a movie night here at the apartment. I am sure the girls will help with the baking I mean eating of the cookies.

Well I am getting ready to head out for this final and I will update on how my semester ended up in the next few days...

Nice Relaxing Day

Today was a nice relaxing day. I did a lot of nothing all day and enjoyed every minute of it. Planning our trip home for Christmas we leave two weeks from tomorrow and I am happy that I get to see my nieces and nephews they are the lights of my life besides Nate and Natalie. It is funny how children can just melt your heart. Our Disney trip is coming quickly only 25 days away. I prefer to count weeks instead of days it seems shorter. Next week is finals and then I am a free woman until Jan 1oth and let me tell you I am ready.

I think I will enjoy the rest of my evening. Night all until next time stay toasty warm and remember to make lasting memories everyday.

What a good day

Today has been a good day. I did not have to work which completely rocks. I decided to start another blog to track my Etsy store and showcase other artists and crafters as well. I am still trying to make a Christmas tree stand because I could not find one at Target and well I am too cheap to spend a lot of money on a tree stand. The tree not being up is a major bummer but I did decorate some of the house and it is starting to look good. I will be working on it again tomorrow.

I created more cute things to list on Etsy and that is what I will be doing as soon as I am done updating here. This year is coming to an end and I am just getting started on great things to come.

Until next time.... Stay warm and safe.

Snow is Falling

I am feeling much better today. Outside the snow is falling and right now everything seems okay. I have only 2 assignments and 3 exams left for the semester. I am really happy about this. I am hoping to get my tree up tomorrow. I still need to figure out how to rig a stand but I know I will manage.

I am getting more interest in my Etsy stuff which really rocks. I am going to spend the rest of the afternoon working on more stuff to list.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.......

Time just flies bye

I am sitting here realizing that another semester of college is close to ending. So I ask myself what have you accomplished so far this year. Well a lot of nothing if you ask me. I moved from South Bend to Bloomington, I have almost finished another semester at college. But I do not feel like I have accomplished much.

Maybe once my Etsy business is picks up more and I have come to accept our current path then maybe my outlook will change. I am hoping the trip to Disney in Jan. will cure some of my blues away.

I mean I like the city of Bloomington, but I miss my family, most of all the kids.

So excited

I am so excited. I just received my first custom order from Etsy. This will be sell number three and if feels great. So with this new sell today I have to make 24 die cuts tonight and finish a paper all before class tomorrow at 11:15am. This is going to be kinda tricky considering Nate is really sick and I have to work from now until 9pm tonight.

But I am super mom and wife as Natalie calls me so I guess I have to do it all LOL. Everything else is going great the semester is so close to being over and let me tell ya I am very happy about that. I think I will sit here at work and try and finish some other projects that are due in the next couple of weeks and tomorrow I will start my reflection of the year daily posts.

Until next time smile

Just one of those days.

It has been just one of those days since I got up. Nate is sick which means he is extra needy and whiny. It went from chilly to freezing in just a few hours and I did not get to see the sun today. I know miss grumpaurous. Well we are all allowed one of those days every now and then. At least I have my paper done for Thursdays class and have the lab completed. I just need to focus and finish the folklore fieldwork project which is anywhere from 8 to 12 pages. Thank goodness I can reuse part of the collection project.

On the positive side I am still excited about my first Etsy sell and I listed new items yesterday and they have already gotten so looks. I am hopefully that I will get another sell this week.

Maybe tomorrow I will get my Christmas tree up, I still need to make a stand for it but i am sure it will turn out great. I have some of the apartment already decorated and most of Natalie's presents wrapped. I think I will have a wrapping day with Natalie to wrap all the gifts for my nieces and nephews. I am not buying for the adults this year. Its just tooo tight. Instead I am going to create something for them.

Thanks for reading and listening to me vent a little here is to a sunnier tomorrow.

Count Down to DISNEY starts now

So folks I just did the math and we leave for Disney in 32 days. I am so excited. I still have a millions things to do before we go not to mention all the baking for Christmas and finals to boot. I honestly think that I am more excited to go than my daughter and her BFF. I could live every waking moment at WDW if I could.

Now lets get back to reality. I listed more items on Etsy today and I am hoping one sale leads to another. I am going to finish a few more projects for school this week and then all thats left is finals and I am truly excited for this semester to come to an end. Well this is post two today and I really need to get going on these projects.

Small beginnings

Over the weekend I made my first sell on Etsy. I was so darn excited. Lets hope this is just the beginning of many more sales this holiday season and beyond. Today is going to be a paper writing day and cleaning house day. Now if I can get some of it done before going to work at 5pm I will be happy.

Maybe later this week I will be able to get my Christmas tree up, my dad gave us one of his extra trees but it was missing the stand so I am on the hunt for one. I think I will go out and check a couple thrift shops this week.

Nothing else really going on right now I will keep everyone posted on my Etsy sales.

Coming home sick YUCK

The visit to South Bend was great until yesterday when I woke up feeling like death. I have flu symptoms all day which made the drive home extra long. I ended up with the I am going to throw up and omg my stomach is on fire symptoms and Nate had the body aches and pressure headache. Who would have thought we would split the symptoms of the darn flu.

This morning however I feel better and I am hoping when Nate gets up he feels better too. This is our last day off before we go back to the grind of school and work on Monday. I did get some black friday shopping done. It was busy but I did not feel like it was overly crowded and the deals were nothing to get in the elbow throwing mode.

Well I am going to lay on the couch for a while and who know what else the day will bring.

Happy Thanksgiving

We got to South Bend yesterday and I am so excited to get to eating today. I think that being with all the family throughout the day will be wonderful. I am thankful for all the good and bad things that have shaped my life.

Then tomorrow morning bright and early we are going to enjoy the event called Black Friday shopping thank goodness I am not after anything special. Going to people watch and if I get a couple good deals that would be great. I am also looking forward to dinner with friends later.

So Happy

I am so happy that the work week is over for me 9 days straight sucks!!!! but the money will be nice. We leave for South Bend tomorrow morning at 8am and I am so excited. Like a kid on Christmas morning excited. I need the break.

I miss my friends and family from home a lot these days so I hope this eases the heartache a little. I am sure my nephew will find a way to break my heart he always does that little stinker. Natalie is super happy she is speading two days with her BFF and I am sure this is going to piss my mom off oh well. My mom will just have to get over it Nat is 13 and as much as she loves my mom hanging out with her BFF is way more fun and for me important then sitting at my moms keeping the couch company. Well that came from no where. I guess I have some issues that need to be dealt with but they will have to wait until after the holidays.

Back to packing so we can leave bright and early.

1 more day of Work after Today

I am so happy it's Monday. It means only one more day of work after today. I am so ready to go visit everyone. I miss them more than ever right now. It feels kinda weird not planning or cooking for Thanksgiving this year I am the guest for a change.. Strange. I am sure I will end up helping out somewhere along the day.

Natalie is excited that she gets to spend the night at her BFF's on Friday and I am bringing one of my nieces to spend the night with us on Thanksgiving night. Alot planned lets see if we can pull it off.

To my sister in law Gwen we love and support you and I hope today goes in you favor..

Well its time to get the last minute stuff done before we leave on Wednesday morning.

Lazy Sunday Morning

I was the first one to get up this morning and the house has been quiet for hours. I really enjoy these moments alone. There are still people in the house but yet you are alone. I was a cooking queen last night. I made pot roast, cresent rolls and chocolate chip cookies. Let's just say Natalie believe I am the best mom ever. I made her 3 favorite things to eat and I did not even plan it that way. I just wanted to cook for some reason.

Well Wednesday is fast approaching and I still need to get some laundry done and pack yet. All in all I am pretty excited and ready to go. Good food good people what more could a girl ask for other than to win the lotto.

Off to make more crafty items just for the fun of it. I have come to the conclusion that what will be will be concerning my etsy shoppe.

aww

I it has been about a week and I still only have looks on my Etsy items. I am now offering free shipping and still nothing. I am wondering what in the hack am I doing wrong here. People keep telling me that my items are cute and affordable but yet no one is buying. This really just puts a damper in my parade. Let's hope I sell something soon and I can get out of this self doubt funk.

On a happy note Wednesday morning is fast approaching I cannot wait to get on the road heading home to visit family and friends. I am sure I will not catch everyone but I will try. I think that I will make a nice pot roast for dinner and cookies for dessert that should cheer me up.

So long for now :0)

Its been a long day

Two posts in one day... you know its been a long day. I could kick myself in the butt for picking up the extra hours this considering the fact that we are working nine days instead of the regular seven. However the money will be nice. Just makes for really long days. I am so excited about our upcoming trip to South Bend.

Tonight one of my mom's best friends found me on facebook and it was so nice to chat with her and catch up. Aunt Karen has been a special person in my life since I was a small girl and it has been years since I seen or talked to her. Its funny how life just seems to bring people in and out of your life at different times. I am sure my mom will be thrilled to hear from her too. I know its been years since they have talked as well.

I am happy to say that this weekend I will be working on my etsy stuff and I am adding prints of Nate's photography to the site and see if that sells. It would be nice.

Well its time to hit the hay. Just had some thoughts that needed to be expressed before I could call it a night.

1 week

Today marks one week before we are going to South Bend for turkey day. I am ready to spend some time with my friends and family. This also means we are closer to semesters end and I am really excited about that.

All is well with the Barnett's. Natalie I swear has grown at least another inch and that means she is just another inch taller then my short butt. I can not believe have fast 13 almost 14 years have gone by. I have enjoyed every minute of being a mother and watching her grow up but I am not ready for her to be grown. I am not sure I will ever be ready for her to be grown. I sure woke up in a sappy mood this morning. But I look at her sleeping and know that some day she will spread her wings to fly and I will have to step aside and let her. So as I watch her sleep this morning I am cherishing this time and silently preparing myself for that day.

Now on to more less sappy stuff. I know yesterday I was frustrated about all the lookers on my Etsy page and I just need to be patient. I will just wait and see what happens. I think my prices are fare along with the packaging and shipping prices. I will keep you posted on how that goes. Nate says all I need is one item to sell and I should be golden and less antsy. I have to agree its waiting for the first one to sale.

I have class at 11am and then work at 1:30pm the next couple of days are going to be long but I keep reminding myself the count down to a mini vacation and then the count down to DISNEY> Yippee

Okay I know that it has only been two days since I started putting stuff on Etsy but I really would be thrilled if people would buy when they are looking. I mean some of my items have 20 plus looks but no buyers yet. I know be patient but come on I am like a kid in that aspect now now now please LOL. I just had to vent my viewers only frustration.

I am picking up hours at work this week which means more spending money for Disney in January and lets hope Etsy turns out to be a good venture. If not I love creating things and I will figure out some way to use them.

Nothing really exciting right now. We leave in 8 days for South Bend which rocks. Yippee

Monday Monday

It is the beginning of another week which means I am one week closer to winter break and our Disney vacation trip. I woke this morning feeling wonderful and completely loved. It has been rough down here with out my friends and family but my husband is the most amazing man. He makes sure that I laugh everyday and encourages me to do what is on my mind. I pleased to announce that since putting my Esty shoppe together yesterday that my items have been getting lots of looks. Lets hope those looks turn into sells.

The only bummer about this week is that we will be on duty for 9 days straight and I picked up some extra hours during the day. I figured with the holidays just around the corner and Disney too we could use all the money we could get. School projects are mostly done and I only have 2 finals this semester to worry about.

The count down for Thanksgiving break begins today 10 days until we leave for home Yippee.

Great Weekend

Had a great weekend. Nate's parents came in to visit and we went to campus and then to dinner. I love having family down to visit. Hopefully we will have more soon. I am super excited to say that my business is up and running and for anyone who is interested you can get there by linking here:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/61813917/lady-bug-and-daisy-thanks-gift-tags-set

I know it is bad to self promote but heck I need more disney money. LOL. I am so happy to say that there is about 4 weeks of school left and the projects are coming together nicely.

This post is going to be short and sweet and thats alright. What a great weekend.

Family time

I am sitting here waiting for my in-laws to arrive and have to say that I am really excited. Since moving to Bloomington we have only had his brother come and visit. So having his mom and dad here will be nice. The bummer is the weather did not hold out, but at least the week was just beautiful. I think we are going out to lunch and then we will spend the rest of the time just chatting and catching up and making plans for the holidays.

Speaking of holidays that are just around the corner, I have become overly crafty lately so I have decided to make homemade christmas cards this year. This should be a lot of fun and it means I get to go to the craft store YIPPEE... I think after the family heads back to South Bend, we will get out our Christmas stuff and start decorating the apartment. I will not be able to put up the tree until we get it from my dad over Thanksgiving but at least the rest of the apartment will be put together.

I really need to blog everyday to get everything out. I am so glad that the test scores came back higher then I thought. I was really worried about them all week and the professors down here take forever to post grades. Which adds to the madness. Next week looks like it will be a light week in the homework area. Well the in-laws just called so I think they are getting close. I will update when they leave tomorrow afternoon.

Reflecting on the week so I can say that there is still so much that needs to be accomplished. I took pictures of some the items I want to put on Etsy. I still need to get this adjusted in size so I can add them to the listing. I need to also get my house cleaned up for the weekend not to mention I have an interview that needs to be transcribed and then added to a paper that is do on Friday. Unfortunately after the disaster I call the bioanthropology exam I cannot get my butt in gear to do any more school related work.

So I am going to sit here and make more stuff for Etsy. Thats all I really have to say right now.

Ahhh...

Well I made it through exam one of the week and I honestly think I did very well. Now if I could only feel that way about the exam tomorrow. I really dislike the class and that does not help the studying what so ever. I know get off my butt and get that last minute cramming done because the morning comes way to quickly.


I really enjoy the day with my daughter and husband today. Its was so beautiful out and the weather was just perfect. I love indian summers. We also stopped by Michael's and can you believe my husband was encouraging me to buy all the items that I wanted for my crafts. How many husbands go to the craft store and then once there help their wife shop. I have a super husband. Love you honey. I am hoping this week goes by kinda quickly we have his parents coming in town and I have lots of class work between now and then.

Well with that being said I need to get to work on studying. .

Exams..ugh

Well tonight has been study night. I have two exams this week and they are tough ones. For some reason this semester has been dragging on and on and I am so ready for it to be over. I want to be able to sit and do nothing but paper crafts and stuff. I am never going to be able to get my new busy up and running with all this darn studying. LOL thats what you get when you go to college. For the most part I am done studying for my folklore exam tomorrow which leaves studying for the bioanthropology exam on Tuesday and that ones going to be a bear. Good news is that there are only 5 weeks left in the semester and we have Thanksgiving break to look forward to.

Now on to the topic of Christmas, what in the world should I get my husband who has everything he wants.... I never really know but I am sure Natalie will come up with something she always does. I mean really a week after Christmas we are going to be at WDW so I think that should be good enough for me and the hubby. I am happy to say that I have decided that I am finished shopping for Natalie. I have yet to start on the homemade stuff but I will find time to squeeze that in some how. All in all life is pretty darn good and I have a great support system; I love my life minus the exams. LOL

I am totally exhausted today. I have been yawning since I got up and it really sucks that I cannot go back to bed just to take the edge off.(work stinks when your tired). Other than feeling tired today is good. I am going to be baking brownies and maybe start looking at my christmas decor for this year. With moving to an apartment I am not sure what to put out and what I still have left after downsizing. Let's hope I am not completely crushed when I realize what I got rid of.

I am please to say that I have finished buying all of Natalie's big surprises for christmas and pretty much wrapped up all the nieces and nephews this summer. I will be wrapping all the gifts in the next couple weeks to see what I missed. That reminds me I still need to find a chocolate advent calendar for Nat. I cannot believe she still insists that we have one. It gives me the warm fuzzies inside and I am sure I will continue to give her one well into her adult years. The things children cannot live without.

This year is also a homemade christmas year for all the adults in our family and Natalie loves to help me when I do this. Not sure what we will be making but I know alot of it will include pics of some sort. Which I will be getting froms artscow, they have the best deals and prices and offer lots of freebies which is almost.

Its beautiful and sunny out so I am going to snap out of this tired funk and manage to get things accomplished at work and home today. Maybe I will be able to post pictures tomorrow.

TGIF

It has been such a long week. Not sure why it feels that way but I am glad that its Friday and I only have 2 more days of work. Yippee. I love this job one week on and one week off.

Let's see whats new with us. Natalie has decided that horseback riding lessons are not for her and who can blame her really. She has had to bad experinces on horse in the last two months and she is to the point now she has lost trust in both trainers and their horses. I know the old saying get back on when you fall but she has and I fully support her choice not to continue lessons. We are thinking that maybe after the holiday season and our Disney trip in Jan has past that she wants to join girls inc or some other kids club to hang out with other kids her own age. Her homeschooling routine has gotten 100% better since we moved her and she is progessing very well, I am very proud.

I am all over the place with thoughts tonight but I am going to get them down and move on to new one tomorrow. I have decided to start selling some of the crafts that I have been making on Etsy starting this week. I will add a link once it is up and running. I am also thinking that I am going to finish school with a degree in historical archaeology and I am encouraging Nate to go after his passion with photography. We only have one life to live so we should really do want we want for careers, and money is just money. You can't spend it when your dead. I know that a few of my family members would be spitting bullets if they were reading how little I value the good old dollar. Oh well.

I hear that it is already snowing back home in South Bend, at least it wait until after halloween this year. I want snow after Thanksgiving and it can go away after Christmas. I am rambling tonight I am must be slightly bored or maybe I have alot on my mind and this is a good way to process. Anyway its about time to head home. On a sad note I am sending happy thoughts to my sister in law and her husband today. Its been a very trying week for them . Love you Guys.

Day 2 of catching up.

So back to the trip to the Smoky Mountains, it was amazing. This was our first time going to the Smoky's and with tips from our boss we were able to make the most out of our time there. Cades Cove is the beautiful 11 mile driving tour through some of the most breath taking views of the mountains. We seen deers and turkeys during the nice slow drive through, kinda bummed that we did not see any bears or other furry creatures, maybe next time. After leaving Cades Cove we went to Clingmen's Dome and walked part of the Applachian trail, which was like walking up a drier stream bed. The views were worth all the pain of climbing up the side of the mountain for about 2miles. All the trees were turning a rainbow of colors and we were the only ones on that trail for the longest time. So peaceful and to be able to enjoy something so beautiful with my family is just priceless. These are the moments I hope Natalie looks back when she is older. We cannot wait to go back next year in the spring.

Couple things to keep in mind when you go to the Smoky's bring food with you, there is nowhere in the Smoky's to eat and plan on staying a couple days at least to enjoy the mountains and all the scenic stops along the way. Other than having to go to Gatlinburg to grab lunch and only having a day to enjoy the park, we loved it. I know I promised pictures but there are not on my work computer so they will have to wait.

After a beautiful time in the mountains we stopped at Cincinnati Zoo and all I have to say is it was totally awesome. I ran into a long time Disboard forum friend there which was super cool. This was the first time we have ever met face to face and it was super neat. We took pictures and then went off to explore the park with our families. Natalie and myself were able to feed giraffes and that was amazing and their heads are huge. I was very impressed with the amount of primates the zoo had and we also got to see a baby bonobo. So Sweet. All in all the adventures are just beginning for us here in Bloomington.

I'm back.

It seems like forever since I lasted posted an update on here. Well life in Bloomington is still going well. I would love to say great but there are still things I really miss about home. The fact that I only get to see my nieces and nephews every six weeks at best really sucks. I know for Natalie the fact that she still has not made any friends here really bites. I am hoping by signing her up for some type of sport at the Y she'll make some friends. This is the one and only time homeschooling has played a part in finding friends and the fact that we live on campus doesn't help. On a positive note she is still having a blast volunteering at the daycare and so far the horseback riding lessons have been entertaining to say the least.

Classes here are still kinda so/so hoping the ones I picked for next semester are a better fit. I love the atmosphere here and the artistic culture is very awesome. There are so many different places explore in and around Bloomington. One thing I have realized is that I am a gypsy, I love to travel and I do not see myself settling down anywhere anytime soon. I love going to explore the state parks and historic cities. There is so much to see and do and darn it I want to see it all.

I have so much to catch up on that its going to take me a couple posts to do it. I will have to post pictures from our trip to the Smoky Mountains a couple weeks back. The weekend trip was amazing. Let's not forget the stop at Cincinnati Zoo on the way home. See I told ya I have a lot to catch up on. Well it just about time to close the office so I will post more tomorrow if I remember.

First Week Of Fall Semester.... Success

I was not sure how I would like taking classes here at Bloomington vs at IUSB. I have to admit the work load is a lot lighter then IUSB and the classes are way bigger, but the variety is out of this world. I am taking one anthropology and 2 archaeology classes and my favorite class is intro to folklore. I think I might be adding folklore as a minor it really goes hand and hand with anthropology.

I walk to class everyday and it takes me about 25 minutes to reach my furtherest point and I am walking up hill both ways. I honestly did not think that could happen but here in Bloomington everything is up hill. I think this is a great way to force myself to exercise.

This week Natalie started art class and she began working with clay and she just loves it. Tomorrow is her first horse back riding lesson so I will update later this weekend on how she liked it. After class today we are going to Indy for a bit and I hope we are able to find her a cheap pair of boots for tomorrow. Well class is about to begin.

Classes Start on Monday

The summer is officially coming to an end for us IU students. Classes begin on Monday and I am super excited to be starting the new semester here at Bloomington. I have three anthro classes and one folklore class I believe these will be very fun and interesting classes.

Natalie has been on a good homework schedule for the last couple of weeks so that will transition well with my schedule. She also will be starting art classes and riding lessons next week. Lets hope that this will help her make some friends. I am sure by now she is getting lonely. On the other hand she loves working at the Daycare and she will be going to Cedar Point in a couple weeks with her BFF from South Bend which is awesome. I am only slightly jealous. If she is still having troubling finding friends in a couple weeks I will look into the boys and girls club here and see what we can do.

The summer was a complete success. We moved and settled into our new apartment in Bloomington. Natalie has grown up and has become more independent. I have spend a lot of time with Nate and Natalie and my family has been wonderful. I just celebrated my birthday this week and my husband bought me an Ipad and that was so nice and loving.

Off to take Natalie shopping and to get my hair cut. I will post pics later today.

Tomorrow Is my Birthday

It doesn't seem that a year has gone by already. I will be 33 tomorrow and I really do not feel like a day over 25. I am beginning to really believe the saying " Age is just a Number". I am very happy in my life and I really do think that makes all the difference. I enjoyed a great birthday party with my family and my niece Khloe kept telling me that it was our "Happy Birthday Party" so sweet.

Tomorrow on my actual birthday Nate, Natalie and myself will be going to Center Circle Mall in Indy to enjoy some shopping and we will be having lunch at P.F. Changs. I do not think we will see any celebrities this time. It was a complete fluke the last visit. I will have to be back to Bloomington by 5pm to work but all in all I have a pretty good day planned.

School starts one week from today and let me tell ya I am super excited to be getting back to class. The summer has been full of great adventures and change and I am happy that the move to Bloomington turned out to be one of the best moves of my life so far. So here is to becoming a year wiser.

Visit to the Bend

We had a lovely visit to South Bend this past week. I really enjoyed spending time with family and friends. Although I wasn't able to see everyone I am very happy. I got to celebrate my birthday early with my family and that was amazing. We have decided to come back up for a visit in October and at Thanksgiving. Living 4 hours away isn't so bad. Getting ready to migrate to our bedroom to let our house guests get some sleep since they are leaving at 2am. I will update more later.

Counting down the days

Well leaving in Bloomington is wonderful, but I am super excited about visiting South Bend this week. I have been counting down the days since last week and I am very please to say that we leave on Wednesday morning for the Bend. I hope to visit everyone but I know that may not happen this trip. I have two birthday parties to attend which will be real nice because I honestly thought we would not be able to attend them.

Next week on Wednesday which is my birthday we are going to Indianapolis for the first part of the day and I am super excited. We will be eating at P.F. Changs for lunch and doing some shopping at the Circle Center mall downtown. The major bummer is the fact that we have to be back by 5pm because we are on duty that week. Oh well I will still enjoy my bday.

Classes start on Aug 30th and I have to say I am slightly nervous but in a good way. We have also decided to get Natalie horse riding lessons this fall. I am sure she will just love it and for $15 a lesson I could not pass up this chance for her. Natalie is loving her volunteering job and is eager to get the babysitter training from the red cross but that will have to wait until there are enough girls interested in the class.

Other than settling into our new home and exploring the area there really hasn't been to much going on. Like always I will keep you posted.

Aww Monday

Today starts the beginning of our on duty week as HA's and I think it will start to pick up in the office. We have a lot of move outs this week and on Aug 16th begins the mad rush of move ins. This job is really easy when its slow so let's see how it is when all tenants return. Nate has been working really hard on Natalie's schooling this month and I am seeing a major improvement. They have even begun piano lessons. She was a little bummed about it today but she will get over it. I am putting her into a science class through the IU and she wants to take an art class.

I think moving to Bloomington will help Natalie to blossom into a beautiful , smart and artistic young lady. Well I guess I should get ready to head to work.

OMG !!!! Is Natalie's reaction

So I know that this is post two for the day but it could not wait. We took a drive up to Indy to spend the day and had nothing planned. We ended up at City Center Mall downtown and walked outside and there was a line of girls waiting outside the Conrad Hotel. So we all looked at each other and we just had to wait and see who was coming out. About 10 mins passed and I heard the door guy tell the line of girls to get their cameras ready and then out walks Joe and Nick Jonas. Being ready I took photos as they walked down the street and disappeared around the corner. Natalie was so speechless at first and then once it sunk in that she just saw the Jonas Brothers she was just overwhelmed with emotions tears, laughter and then phones calls to her friends. This has been awesome and one she will not soon forget. OMG is all that can be said for taking the chance of waiting.

We also went to the Civil War Memorial which was beautiful. I love statues and there were plenty of them.

Love the weekends

Yesterday we went to the farmer's market and then we explored campus. We left the house just a little after 9am and we returned home around 2:30pm. We walked from our apartment to the Farmer's Market. Which was around 2miles, we love our market. We got to enjoy a local hillbilly band, heirloom tomato tasting and I took some lovely pictures of local art. After getting some veggies we went to the The Village Pantry for breakfast and the was our second visit for breakfast and we have now made this a Saturday tradition. We will go to the market first and then to breakfast.

After breakfast we went to explore more of campus, there is still so much we haven't seen yet. The Lilly Library is such a wonderful place. They house rare and fragile collections and traveling exhibits. The current exhibit is puzzles and these are not the ones you do with grandma. These are boxes , toys and wooden shaped puzzles and many are just mind boggling. From there we went to the Art Museum and visited the current exhibits and I have to say the art and artifacts are just wonderful. I am very pleased so for with IU and their dedication to art, music and their cultural enrichment of the community.

Just another day.

Today has been wonderful. We went for a quick bite to eat before we went on a scenic drive. I have to say that the southern part of Indiana has some of the most beautiful curvy roads I have seen. We headed south out of Bloomington and drive aimlessly until we hit a major interstate and then we headed back. The best part was taking all the back roads and hoping you are heading in the right direction. It was a complete bummer that I forgot my camera this time because we ended up on a road called "That" which is just hilarious. Tomorrow we are going to the farmers market and Nate will fix the car. Gotta love lazy weekends.

Natalie's First day Volunteering..

So today my baby started her first day at the Hoosier Courts Nursery School and Daycare. She was very nervous when she left this afternoon but that all faded away quickly. She was only suppose to work until 4pm today but called at 3:30pm to tell us she was going to be staying until 5:30pm. As I set here worrying about her all day she was having a complete blast. The children love her and she is having so much fun. I am so proud of her today. Way to go Miss Natalie.

While she was away having a great time I inquired about a babysitting course through the Red Cross that they will be teaching here in our apartment complex. The good news is if they get enough teens to sign up for the course, the coordinators is going to cover some of the cost for the class which is very generous of them. We also found out today that they will be teaching the hands only CPR course here at the apartment as well. We are going to do that as a family.

Erna the lovely women whom we have been talking to, told us that Natalie might be able to get some babysitting jobs after she attends the babysitting training. She gets requests from other tenants in the apartment complex for a babysitter and she said she would mention Natalie.

I am really pleased with how our life here in Bloomington is shaping up. I am completely content with my current position in life and that my friends is amazing.

Joys of Parenthood.

Today has been an emotional journey for Miss Natalie. She went out to see if she could volunteer at the Daycare center in our apartment building only to get shoot down. They told her that she would have to be 18 to volunteer. I knew her heart was crushed when she came home she left to be by herself for a while. When she came back home she decided that she was going to go back out and try the other daycare that is just up the hill from our apartment.

I truly felt for when she left. She had already been turned down and I know the nerves had to be at an all time high, but this time it was a success. She talked with the lady that runs the daycare and she told Natalie to come home and fill out the application and discuss with her parents how many hours she was allowed to volunteer. She was so excited when she called as she was walking home. I am very proud of her. It took a lot of courage to continue after being turned down.

Tomorrow we will go together to turn in her application and I will officially be letting the change from a little girl to young lady take hold. The time just flies by when you are enjoying the journey that you are on and I have loved all the moments of being a mother so far and cannot wait to experience many more.

Lazy days

Well it going on almost a month that we have been in Bloomington and I have to say still loving it here. I am not loving all the down time that we are having. We have been working 3 weeks straight so we cannot really go explore which makes for long lazy days and anyone who knows me, knows that is a major problem. I am a busy bee normally. I need chaos to function. Classes, work, and life are good things and I am counting the days until classes start.

Next week is our first official off week and I am so excited it means we get to explore and really take in this beautiful city. I am also excited about going home to visit in August. All in All life is pretty good right now.

Ummmm.

Well not to much is going on really. We are going to start a week early working alone in the office, wish us luck. I am sure we will do just fine. That means we will be on for two weeks in a row but I am not complaining, we could really use the money. Natalie is coming home on Saturday and I am real excited to see her. I am missing her. We will also have our niece for a week which will be really awesome.

I have to say we are adjusting to the move nicely and I am feeling content, which for those of you that know me know for me to be content is amazing. Life right now is pretty good.

Training

Today was the first day of training and I am calling it a success. The housing assistant position is a very easy going position. As long as you remain a pleasant people person you will be fine and I think we can do that. Nothing else really going on this week besides training. I am hoping to finish another book before the week is out. That would make four books for the summer so far. I need to read books with fewer pages if I hope to get ten books read by the beginning of fall semester. After school starts, there is no time for leisure reading.

The sunny is shining so I am going to con Nate into going for a walk with me. I am hoping to start some crafting too soon. I will post pictures as I complete projects.

Bloomington :)

We have now been in Bloomington for a week now and I have to say it feels like home. The apartment is all put together. We have been exploring the area and I just love it here. There are so many parks and forests around Bloomington there is always some place to visit. Nate and I went for our first bike ride together today and I made it almost home before I wanted to die. This is one hilly city.

The farmers market here is very nice and there is so many vendors. I cannot wait to go back next weekend. I will try to remember to take pictures next time. I start training for work on Monday and I am very excited about that. I am a little bored doing nothing all of the time. I miss a routine.

Transition...

So far the move to Bloomington has been absolutely beautiful. Natalie really likes it here and I was really worried about that before we got here. There is so much to see and do within the city and I am so excited to explore everything. I noticed a small bookstore downtown on Saturday and I am hoping they will be open later this week. I love books so this might be a great find for me.

I am still on the hunt for good thrift shops and I am sure I will find some good ones here. Today we are going to walk around campus for awhile. The apartment is coming along slowly but I am very happy with how everything looks so far. If I remember I will post pictures over the next couple of days.

Tomorrow we meet with Steve and we will find out what our training schedule is. I am excited to start work and get money coming in. The more money we make the more things we can enjoy. Well I guess I should get back to working on the apartment for a bit before we go out for the day.

Moving DAY

Well today is the day,we are finally moving to Bloomington. I am nervous, excited and a little sad to be going, but let the new adventure begin.

Last night was wonderful, all of my friends came to spend some time us and that really meant the world to me. Today I foresee lots of tears but I have tissue. I have to keep reminding myself this is not goodbye. I mean for goodness sake we are only moving 3.5 hours away :) I will write more once the truck is unloaded in Bloomington.

What a beautiful Morning

The day has started off nice. I kissed my husband good-bye as he left for work and I am now sitting in a completely clean and packed house. I am so ready to move that I almost cannot stand it. My landlady comes today for the final inspection and lets hope she remains the nice and lovable lady that she has been. Keep your fingers crossed that we sell our appliances and get some if not all of our deposit back.

I am also hoping to hear when we are leaving today or tomorrow. Today would be nice thought.. I still need to book the rental truck and finish up the last of the good-byes to everyone else. I think I am fully booked for the rest of the week. Tonight we are having dinner with his parents, tomorrow I think we are doing something with his brother and on Thursday we have a family get together with my family and then we are off to Fiddler's for drinks with friends. Please let Friday be moving day, I am all ready to go.

So I am now off to get some breakfast and grab a few things from the store. I know I am sharing the boring parts of my life too.

What a Long Day

Today has been a very long day. I have completely finished packing and cleaning the house. I am physically and emotionally drained. My landlady is coming tomorrow and hopefully she wants to buy our appliances and tells me we get our deposit back.

On the sad note our dog Butchie went to his new home today. I am very sad, but at least he went to live with my in-laws. I know that he will have a good home there but that does not ease the pain and the heartache. Natalie was very heartbroken and we still have the emotions of moving to deal with come Friday or next Monday.

I am super excited about meeting up with friends on Thursday for a farewell get together, that should be really fun an Strongbow Cider is the best. I cannot believe how time flies and I feel as if I am not going to be able to see everyone I would like to before we leave. Well it has been a very long day and I am ready for a long shower, wine and then bed. Tomorrow starts a new day.

Moving day is fast approaching.

We are getting very excited, moving day is could be as early as this coming Friday. The house is pretty much packed and we finished cleaning the basement yesterday. I am getting slightly nervous and the missing people blues are starting to creep in.

Today we decided that Butchie will go to his new home with grandma and papa Barnett tomorrow and Natalie's heart was broken. I am very sad but it is easier to let him go early then do it on the day that we move. I am sure I will be a bundle of tears tomorrow when I load him in the car to leave. Heartache is all that I can really say.

This week will be extremely busy. We had dinner tonight with Nate's sister and it was very nice and then we went over to Best Buy and basically had to be kicked out of the store. We forgot it was Sunday and that they closed at 7pm. Well at 7:30 we got the hint and check out. I thought every store gave you the polite "We will be closing in 15 minutes" but not Best Buy oh well I enjoyed those extra moments with my sister and brother -in-law.

We have a family BBQ on Thursday afternoon and then we are going to Fiddler's again Thursday night since that is a great place to hang out. Which leaves Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to fill up with visiting of other family members and friends before we leave. I really think that we will be leaving this coming Friday.. Emotions will be high but the excitement will kick in once we leave South Bend.

The Digging is now over and I think I nailed the interview.

The summer hasn't really started and summer session one is just about over. We finished up the digging yesterday and although it has been a complete blast, I am glad that were are done excavating. I have managed only hurt myself in a few spots. I rolled my ankle and hurt my foot yesterday and I am really paying for that today. If I walk I am in tears so I am taking the day off from doing anything physical and very minimal walking and a scrap on my calf from falling up against a brick well wall the day before. I have learned a lot about the challenges of working with multiple people with completely different work ethics. Over the dig was a huge success. Next week we will be cleaning and cataloging the goodies that we recovered from the second site.

Yesterday was also the phone interview with Steve Rolfe from Campus View Apts in Bloomington. We were offered the opportunity to apply for the Housing Assistant position. The perks of the position is that it would employ both Nate and I and we would receive a free apartment on campus. So we applied and have had multiple email conversations with Mr. Rolfe and yesterday was our phone interview. I feel really confident that we did well with the interview and I think we just might get the position we will find out before Wednesday next week. If we do get the job we will have to move a lot sooner then we thought. Thank goodness I started aggressively packing last weekend. I am done to my bedroom, the basement and Natalie's room. Natalie will be a little sad that we are going early but I made a deal with her that she could stay behind one week as a way to say her good byes. It is not like she is not going to come and visit and she will make new friends in Bloomington I am sure of it. Well I think I really should find some advil or something for the pain in my foot.

Signs telling moving is a good thing

I have to say all the signs say moving is going to be a great thing. We were approached about a position in Bloomington already. I sure hope we get. It is a position that we share and it has wonderful benefits. The only down size is we might have to move a lot sooner then I was expecting. So I will be one tired person come the end of June. So lets keep our fingers crossed that we get the position, application has been submitted. I think we will here something really soon. I will keep everyone updated. For now I am still working my butt off at the new excavation site and having a blast doing it. I will be real sad when the field school ends, but they say all good things come to an end. I will be making an extra effort to spend more time with friends and family and pack in between sleeping, digging, working and all the other stuff that I do daily. Today Nate came to the site which was super sweet of him. I am bringing Natalie out to the site next week. I cannot believe how fast summer session one is flying by. I have set a new goal for the summer I am going to try to read at least ten books before fall classes start. Well Nate is nagging that he is hungry so I am off to get something to eat and then to work...

What a beautiful day.

Today was a great day. The field school started the planning for the second location. What a beautiful lot. I think good things will come from this location. We sectioned of the sample excavation plots and will begin digging tomorrow. This evening Nate and I took Natalie and Makayla to play putt-putt golf at hackers and ice cream at DQ after. I am going to enjoy this rest of the evening with my wonderful husband. Tomorrow will be all work and no play until about 9pm. Lets see how many books I can finish before I move Bloomingtion.

Site 2 starts tomorrow

Today has been one of those days that drag on and on. Last night we had some nasty storms come through and the winds brought down on big branch next store to us. Everyone was very lucky that the branch missed all the cars and the houses. I slept through it all which I thought was completely amazing. As the day finally seems to be ending I am super excited about starting the second site in the field school. We will be at a lot across the street from the Center for History. The last recorder building on this site was a drug store. As far as we know there has not been any looting activity or previous excavation activity at this location. So we are hopeful that what we will find will be in able to be documented in context. I am learning a lot about myself and archaeology this summer. I now know that me and pollen do not mix. I am still recovering from nasty hives and man do they itch. Other than this minor speed bump this class was the perfect fit for me. I wake up and wonder what we will find today and knowing that it might be nothing does not bother me one bit. I am going to be bringing Natalie out to this site later this week or early next once we have our sample spots opened. This way she can help with screening the dirt we remove from the site. I did not get a darn thing packed today but thats okay I still have 50 some days before we move and that gives me time. I have decided to put a picture from the Williams street site in todays blog.

A lazy day..

Today has been a relaxing and lazy day. I worked in the archives for a few hours and the rest of the day has been sitting and enjoying my husbands company. It has been awhile since I have just did nothing. I am still recovering what seems to be a case of hives and I hope that they start to heal soon. I feel like a goon. Natalie and Makayla are playing out in the rain and I am writing here on my blog. Its funny to think that I am moving soon. It does not feel like a reality yet. I am sure once I have made good progress in packing and my landlord does the walk through in 10 days it will set in. I hope to enjoy lots of family and friend time before we move. August will be the beginning of a new adventure and I am kinda freaking out a little but I am super excited. With the field school and work still going on its hard to realize that this chapter in my life is coming to a close. I will be moving away from my home and that is kinda a big deal. I do have to say that for the first time in my life I am ready to make the leap and I have the best partner to leap with and I know what is meant to be he will be right there beside me. Man I am one lucky lady... There are times that you do not realize what you have and I have a lot. I beautiful daughter and a loving husband that is a recipe for success. I am going to finish the night sitting here at the computer listening to it rain and relaxing the night away.

Field school William Street Site closed

Yesterday was our last day at the William Street Site. These last two weeks have been a great learning experience. To end on a good note my allergies were in check and a small group of us excavated a looters pit. Unfortunately a looter had destroyed the stratigraphy of the privy. Steve and his son John helped dig the biggest hole that I have seen in awhile. We recover five 5 gallon painters buckets of artifacts. We we recovered a small porcelain doll arm, 1937 wheat penny, some poker chips and loads of glass and ceramics of all varieties. Professor VanderVeen says you always find the best stuff on the last day and he was right. What a great end to a wonderful learning experience. On Monday we start a new site and will be there for about two weeks and I am sad to say that basically will conclude the field school. This summer has begun beautifully and with many changes to come I hope it will remain the same. I still have so many things to accomplish before we move at the beginning of August. This house will not pack itself, although I really wish it would. This weekend will be more of the same work and spending time with the family.

Field School and moving

Yesterday was a complete mess for me. My allergies are killing me and to top it off I have some kind of rash thing going on. So this has made excavating awful. Now don't get me wrong I love excavating minus the allergy attacks in the field. I am hoping that when we move to the next location there will be less weeds and more grass. Our current location is 400 S. William street and it is the Sons of Israel Synagogue and adjoining lots. The team has recovered lots of bricks, ceramics, nails and glass fragments from the 1 meter x 1 meter excavation plots. The hands on experience is just amazing and I really love this part of acrhaeology. I like the discovery process. There are moments when you are finding nothing that you wonder why you are sitting with the sun beating down on your skin why you are doing this and then you come across a real small fragment of ceramics or some other material and you remember why. Its the smal glimpses into the past from the remains left behind. So I am currently thinking that I am going to double major in archival studies and forensic archaeology/anthropology.

I guess I should get me butt in gear and go and pick up some totes so I can get some more packing done. Not to mention the fact that I must work more tonight. I have now decide my husband is a pain in the ass. I really think that he needs a hobby or something. He is driving me crazy, telling me that I have more important things to do than blog... says the man who puts off everything to the last minute.

Preparing For The Big Move

In about 2 months we are moving down to Bloomington,IN to attend IU and finish up our degrees. This is so exciting and nerve racking at the same time. So for I think Natalie is handling the move okay she started to pack up her room today and that was a nice surprise. I swear that the next month will be so busy that I will not really feel the pinch to move until July. With have work and class I have no time to my self lately. But the new journey is coming soon and I cannot wait. This move just feels right and we got the apartment that we wanted so that is a plus. Wow its funny how life creates winding roads.