Nicole, Harmel...and Sophie :)

Bouncy Baby!

2011-09-07T22:49:00.003-06:00

We recently started putting Sophie in a Jolly Jumper. She loves it! If she's being fussy and nothing else helps, we put her in there for a few minutes and she's immediately happier! She doesn't do too much yet, but she's getting better :)

Camping!

2011-09-01T15:16:00.004-06:00

This summer we took Sophie camping to Long Lake for a week! Her first camping trip. She did AMAZING!

The first day my brother, Eric and his wife, Katie, and their son Willem, were there enjoying the sunshine! We spent the rest of the week with my mom and dad and their close friends the VanKooten's, along with some of the VanKooten's relatives. It was so helpful and Harmel and I were so grateful to have so many people to help watch Sophie. We were still able to enjoy the holiday! She slept pretty good at night around the fire in her stroller, so we were able to play some Mofia and just relax.

My Opa and Oma, as well as my Auntie Joanne and Uncle Dave from BC, came to visit for a day too! It was great to see them all and it was so nice for Sophie to meet her great aunt and uncle :)

Harmel also got a little skiing in and we went for some nice walks as a family. It's so different having Sophie, but completely worth it, I wouldn't change it for the world!

2 Months Later

2011-07-25T16:49:00.011-06:00

Well I haven't exactly kept up my posts...even now that I'm home, these last 2 months have just flown by!

Sophie Diana Potvin was born May 20, at 12:40 am. She weighed a whopping 6 lbs 3oz! The delivery didn't go quite as expected. First I was induced, then I ended up having a c-section. It wasn't what I'd imagined or wanted and therefore was pretty disappointing, but Harmel and I were very blessed with a beautiful, healthy baby girl.

Sophie has been a great baby so far, we haven't had any major concerns other than her weight (she just recently grew out of preemie clothes). She cries when she's hungry or wants attention, but other than that she's fairly content, at least I think so. I guess I don't really have anything to compare it to as she's our first.

Every day Sophie does something new and different. Her first smile was amazing. Harmel still talks about it. She doesn't really giggle yet, but I can tell she's trying! There is a voice in that cute little body. It's great having a girl, but also very expensive. I don't think I'd like to have another girl, there are too many cute clothes out there for them.

I am enjoying every minute of being a stay at home Mom. It does take some getting used to though. I thought I'd have a lot more time to do things, it took me about 2 hours to fold a load of laundry at the beginning. I've learned to adjust and having Harmel work 4 days on and 4 days off has helped a lot. Harmel is an amazing dad and is so involved in everything from changing diapers to helping feed to getting Sophie ready for bed, he's been great! Let's hope it stays that way!

We love you so much baby girl! Don't you forget it! I can't believe you've already been with us for just over 2 months and couldn't imagine our lives without you.

Last Month of Work!

2011-04-01T15:42:00.003-06:00

Today is the first day of my last month of work! I am officially done on April 29. And couldn't be happier, I am ready to be done!

Lake Louise

2011-03-22T19:48:00.006-06:00

Every year, instead of getting Christmas gifts, Mom and Dad have made it a tradition to take us skiing somewhere in the mountains!
This year we went to Lake Louise for a weekend where Eric, Ian, Dan, Harmel and Kt enjoyed some skiing! Mom, Dad and I got to spend some time in the chalet hanging out with Willem :)

We all had a great time and great weather. Thanks Mom and Dad!

2011-02-10T10:43:00.007-07:00

It's been a long time! We have been so busy I've just forgotten to post anything.

So much has happened since my last post. Harmel and I have moved, AGAIN. We actually got kicked out of our last townhouse (our renters decided to sell the unit), Harmel's sister and her husband had their 4th baby and my brother and sister-in-law had a baby, my very first own nephew, and he so beautiful! And also we're expecting! I know everyone probably already knows that but we're still very excited :) I'm due May 25, Harmel and I have just gotten a crib, not a whole lot more than that, but it'll come eventually! Being pregnant is so exciting! I love feeling the baby move (ALL THE TIME!) and Harmel is just so excited, and so helpful around the house now. I'm hardly allowed to make the bed on my own anymore...here's just a couple pictures of the baby and the crib so far!

Profile of the baby:

Little baby feet:

Baby crib with the blanket my Oma made me when I was a baby:

I'm going to try and keep this blog more up to date, especially with the baby coming and everything!

4 More Sleeps!

2009-10-09T10:46:00.007-06:00

Alrighty! So, only 4 more sleeps to go!

This is pretty much exactly what our bedroom looks like at the moment. It's pretty disgusting. And for those of you who don't know...I don't deal well with messes. I feel sorry for Harmel because I've probably been pretty grumpy for the last few days. Well it's almost done! We officially move in on Tuesday October 13 at 9:00 am! Woot Woot!

Year of Plenty

2009-10-05T07:04:00.002-06:00

This is what grew in our "garden" this year.

Good thing I'm not a huge fan of tomatoes! We can't even eat the pepper because the cats mauled it the second I brought it inside! Oh well. Hopefully we'll have a bigger garden and we can grow more in the new place!

Moving!

2009-09-28T07:34:00.004-06:00

Harmel and I are moving...

...I think VanGogh is protesting.
Good thing she can't talk! We're moving October 13th to the north side. We'll be a lot closer to my parents and to church and a lot of other activities we're involved in. We're moving from an apartment into a townhouse which will be really nice! We will have 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms and it has a backyard and a finished basement! Woot Woot! Even better...it has laundry! And a full size fridge instead of an apartment size one. Too bad they painted the entire inside bright blue...

P.S. Who'd have ever thought I'd get excited over laundry...

Repeat after Me: I Love My Husband

2009-09-25T07:47:00.003-06:00

Really, I do love my husband...I just don't always love his messes. Take his latest for example:

Harmel assures me every time he shaves that he's picked up every single piece of hair that fell off his face. Obviously he forgot to look a few places.

Fifty and Fabulous

2009-09-02T07:56:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday Dad!
Congratulations on 50 wonderful years!
Thanks for being the best dad ever and always giving me someone amazing to look up to.
I couldn't have ever asked for more!
You have brought so much joy and happiness to our lives.
Love you so much.

Congratulations!

2009-09-02T07:50:00.002-06:00

Last month a girl I used to work with at the clinic got married!
Congratulations Jessica and Tom!

It was a beautiful day and a beautiful wedding!

Hair It Is!

2009-07-17T07:13:00.004-06:00

My hair is a constant battle for me. It's so curly that sometimes I really don't know what to do with it. I have good hair days and bad hair days, just like everyone else...unfortunately this is what my good hair days look like:

My Lil Garden

2009-07-05T09:31:00.003-06:00

So Harmel and I do not have a backyard, or a front yard, or any type of yard at all...but I LOVE gardening. So I decided to try my green thumb on our balcony. Right now we have a tomatoe plant, a red pepper plant, a stawberry plant, and lettuce and carrots, all growing on the balcony.

I just have to mention one thing. This is our second round of carrots and lettuce. The first round I planted a little prematurely and it was too cold to keep the box outside, so we kept it in our bedroom...we thought it would be a good idea because the cats aren't allowed in our bedroom, however Rembrandt (we think) snuck in a dug up almost the entire pot (the pot is a foot and a half long). My plants had already started growing! They were almost an inch tall and I had to start all over again...oh well!

She's Back...

2009-07-05T09:21:00.004-06:00

So Amy has been home from Europe for almost 2 weeks now. It's so nice to finally have her here again. It's weird, but sometimes you don't notice how different things are until someone comes back home. Either way, things feel normal again.

Harmel and I and one of our other friends went to the airport to see her. It was great! I was so jittery that when she finally came through the doors I was about ready to jump on her. However, family comes first...so I had to restrain myself...

Nice 'n Hot...Finally!

2009-05-31T07:02:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was Harmel's Aunt and Uncle's 25th wedding anniversary. To celebrate we went out to Cross Lake for a huge BBQ for the day! It was hot and beautiful, we couldn't have asked for nicer weather! Summer has arrived!

However, we didn't realize it was going to be that nice. In fact it rained on our way out...I guess you should always pack sunscreen just incase....

Chocolate Fiends!

2009-05-28T08:09:00.003-06:00

On Monday Harmel won tickets to go to a prescreening of the movie 'UP' in 3D. The movie was last night, and we were so excited and it was great! I had even bought a chocolate bar to take to the movie with me. However, I never ended up eating it. I was just going to take it to work with me the next day so I left it in my purse, on the kitchen table...but the kittens got to it first...

The Working Weekend

2009-05-23T23:39:00.005-06:00

May Long out at the cabin is always a "working weekend". Opening up the cabin for another year of fun and enjoyment after the long winter. This year we had some pretty lousy weather including snow! Monday morning Harmel and I woke up to find our tent covered in thick, wet, sticky snow. Nevertheless we still had a nice time.

Raking the garden:

Working on the beach:

The newest installation:

Playing a little Hide 'n Seek:

Dump run:

Back Hickey?

2009-05-12T10:25:00.003-06:00

The other day Harmel was getting ready for bed and I noticed a huge bruise-like spot on his back. It was black and purple. It was a little scary so I told him to go look at it on the mirror. We could not figure out what it was from! About 2 days later we were talking about how our kittens are obsessed with watching the water drain out of the bath...and then it clicked!

Harmel was taking a bath and he decided to lay all the way down while the water was draining, when he got up his back had created a suction cup and it sucked on his back! The result? A back hickey!

In this picture it's already about 2 or 3 days later so it doesn't look quite as bad...but still pretty weird!

Happy Spring!

2009-05-04T22:52:00.004-06:00

Just some lovely tulips my mom gave me the other day!

They're so peeeerdy!

Cat Grass

2009-05-04T22:45:00.004-06:00

So Harmel and I thought it would be a sweet idea to buy the cats some cat grass. We found a little kit at Home Depot for $1.99 and got it going right away. Within 2 weeks the grass was already a few inches long...so we gave it to the cats tonight hoping it would deter them from digging up dirt anymore...

I guess we were wrong. The grass was demolished in about 5 minutes...

...there is no hope for these two.

Meet King George

2009-04-27T17:32:00.006-06:00

This is the newest addition to our household. King George I. Harmel bought him for me this weekend and he's so beautiful!The cats really love him too, this morning Harmel and I came home from our walk and King George's plant was knocked over and there were paw prints all around the tank...so we had to move him to a higher shelf. Harmel said the cats are pretty sad that they can't paw at him anymore...sometimes they sit and just stare at him...

Whoa! 6!

2009-04-24T07:09:00.004-06:00

So one of the cats that Harmel and I brought out to his parents farm just had babies! Black Magic had 6 cute, little kittens last week Saturday. Last night Harmel and I went to see them, and they're sooooo beautiful! 4 of them are all black and 2 of them are tabbies. I wanted to take them all home...Van Gogh and Rembrandt would get too jealous though.

I Love Being a Professional Administrator

2009-04-23T15:38:00.008-06:00

This week is Professional Administration Week! Yay! That means gifts for all of us.

Yesterday they celebrated it here at the Dirty Clinic and all of us clerical staff got treated great! We were each given a rose plant in a nice vase, a $10 gift card for Second Cup, a bag of Lindor chocolates, another bag of chocolates, some body lotion, bath salts, and a nice card! It was so nice! And then the nurses threw all of us a pizza party for lunch.

I love my job.

Boys Will Be Boys

2009-04-16T21:15:00.004-06:00

Today I went to go change the garbage and this is what I found...

Yeup...that's right. A dryer sheet taped to the lid. I guess the garbage must have been so smelly that Harmel couldn't take it out...he could only tape that on. Like one little dryer sheet is going to make garbage smell any nicer...seriously...

Easter!

2009-04-16T07:22:00.002-06:00

Happy Belated Easter everyone!

This year was a busy holiday! On Good Friday we had a good-bye luncheon for our Pastor and then in the evening we had an Easter dinner with my mom's side of the family. On Saturday we had a get together with all of my dad's family that could make it. And then on Sunday we had an Easter lunch/celebrated Opa and Oma's 55th anniversary as well as Easter dinner with Harmel's family! We even had an easter egg hunt with Harmel's nephews. All in all it was a great weekend.

4 Down, a Bazillion to Go

2009-04-13T07:06:00.005-06:00

Last week Thursday my best friend in the whole wide world left for Europe for 3 whole months! And I'm already starting to wonder what I'm going to do with myself while she's gone. I guess it is a little better than when I went to Africa though. At least in Europe they have the internet and she can keep in touch.

The Return of the Cone

2009-03-25T08:52:00.002-06:00

So yesterday VanGogh got fixed...and unlike her brother who really embraced the cone and learned to work with it...she's done exactly the opposite. Harmel was even trying to be nice yesterday and brought out the "cone friendly kennel". For some reason she really liked sitting in the little one and so Harmel thought it would be nice for her to have one that was easier for her to get into...nope. She wasn't having any of it.

She pretty much wants nothing to do with us anymore and starts running away when we get within a 10 feet of her. Really, I think she's just sad. She whines a lot and when we do get close enough to give her a nice back scratch she starts purring instantly. Last night I woke up around 2:00 in the morning and VanGogh was scratching her cone against our bedroom door trying to get in. I just don't know what she wants. One second she loves us...the next she hates us! Hopefully her brother will teach her a lesson and she'll be a little less temperamental.

Automatic Bacon Dispenser

2009-03-18T16:16:00.001-06:00

Who'da thunk it?

Did Someone Hit the Snooze Button?

2009-03-18T12:03:00.006-06:00

So this week Harmel has started a new habit...he sets his alarm for 6:10 am which is nearly an hour before he actually gets up (he usually gets out of bed at 7:00). And then he'll continue to hit the snooze button every 9 minutes until my alarm goes off at 6:45 am at which time he'll finally turn his off completely and maybe get up. I'm usually out of bed before him.

This morning I asked him why he doesn't just set him alarm for 6:50 and then hit snooze once and then get up. He said he likes the state of "almost sleeping" because he likes to cuddle with me in the morning cause I'm nice and warm. I told him I don't really care. I wake up feeling totally exhausted because I wake up every time the alarm goes off.

Hopefully Harmel will listen to me and I'll feel more rested tomorrow morning.

Marmot + Toothpaste = Disaster

2009-03-13T17:44:00.004-06:00

This past Saturday Harmel and I (along with about 50 other members of Trinity CRC) had the opportunity to going skiing for the day in Marmot, Jasper! We boarded the Greyhound at about 5:30 am and after a little vehicular trouble we made it there at about 10:30. It was a pretty good day, but slightly snowy and very windy.

On the trip home my cousin Landon got a little bored. My best friend Amy had a tube of tooth paste with her (who knows why!?) and Landon decided to have a little fun with it...and the sleeping people. Including Harmel. Here's what happened:

Too bad I missed the part where Harmel woke up, noticed everyone looking at him, taking pictures, and snickering, and then proceeded to pull the hood down on his sweater and roll over and go back to sleep...smearing the toothpaste everywhere, and still didn't notice! Unfortunately, we didn't catch everyone on camera. There were a couple good ones!

Rembrandt the Conehead

2009-03-09T07:39:00.003-06:00

Our little baby boy got fixed this week...and he's been moping around the house ever since. And I think he's a little crazier than usually. We had to get a cone put on him because we weren't going to be home that much to distract him if he started licking himself...and now he uses it for the weirdest things! For example...this morning Harmel saw him digging food out of his bowl and put it in the cone and then walk around the house eating it from there. He also follows me around and he'll just run into me with his cone. It's a little creepy. We call him our little conehead.

BBQ Anyone?

2009-03-04T07:45:00.005-07:00

Harmel's not allowed to BBQ too often...

...he get's a little too excited.

I Think They're "Not All There"

2009-03-01T08:50:00.004-07:00

This evening Harmel and I went to a movie and this is what we came home to...

Rembrandt trying to be Super Man, then of course he gives us puppy eyes (can a cat give puppy eyes?) and is all sad that we won't take it off him immediately. Really, who's fault is it now?

We can't even leave them home alone for 2 hours...

It's Was Free!

2009-02-27T07:39:00.004-07:00

The other day Harmel and I were walking through Wal-Mart getting him some school supplies and I decided to go look in another aisle...and there it was...

...an unrolled rim...

...so of course I took the cup and rolled the rim! It was worth it! I won a free coffee. That mean's that Harmel and I have each won one.

The crappiest part? Yesterday between Harmel, me, and the 2 other girls in the office we had 5 coffee's yesterday and not one winner. Usually between us 3 girls at work we buy each other coffee or whatever once a week or so...we agreed that if anyone wins the car, the money, or the laptop we're going to sell and split. I think that makes my odds of winning something good a little better!

Harmel and my tally: Wins: 2 Losses: 5

Happy Anni!

2009-02-25T18:20:00.005-07:00

Today is my grandparents 50th anniversary!

Congratulation Grandma and Grandpa on the big 5-0.

It's amazing to see that they're still together and still love eachother after so many years.

For the big day my sister-in-law Katie, and I made my grandparents a quilt. Each of the 11 grandchild (including the in law's) picked a fabric and Katie and I cut and sewed it them together from oldest to youngest grandchild and presented it to them this past Sunday!

I think they loved it.

It's that Time Again

2009-02-25T18:06:00.007-07:00

As you may have noticed by my last post, or maybe remember from last year, I'm a very big fan of Roll Up the Rim (not to mention Tim Horton's). And at last! It's that time of year again!

So far Harmel and I have only bought 4 coffee's, but we've won once!

Too bad we can't win them all...

I still love my coffee's!

'Tis the Season

2009-02-25T17:56:00.002-07:00

'Tis the season, full of laugher and joy
Coffee dear, for every grown girl and grown boy

Roll up the rim to see if you've won
Donuts and coffees and monies a ton

Like children at Christmas we go through the line
Who cares about work? Who cares about time?

If you don't go, you'll never go far
But buy a couple, you could win a car!

So go now, haste, speed to Tim Horton's
Under that rim there could be many a fortunes

KITS!

2009-02-20T07:41:00.007-07:00

So for a short time last week Harmel and I had 5 kittens/cats. Our APARTMENT was loaded.

I used to work with a nurse who got very sick with cancer and could no longer care for them so Harmel and I told him we could find a good home for his three cats. However, that home happened to be our apartment for a night. Our two kittens didn't really appreciated it. There wasn't even an attempt to get along with the other three. All five of them hissed at each other every time they came within a foot of one another. Then again, I probably wouldn't like a stranger peeing in my litter box or eating out of my dish (our own kittens have separate food dishes as it is).

The next day Harmel brought the three that aren't ours out to his mom and dad's farm. I was a little nervous at first because they are house cats, and as soon as Harmel let them out of the kennel two of them ran away. However, we were there on Sunday and I saw all three of them.

Black Magic, Todd, and Ace (in order)

When I'm Bored

2009-02-07T15:25:00.007-07:00

So my Mom and Dad left for Mexico on Tuesday...leaving my younger brother, Ian, home alone.

Today Harmel worked til 12:30. So between the time of dropping him off at work (at 5:45 am) and picking him up again I got to sleep in and then clean the entire house. Talk about a rockin' Saturday. Not to mention the fact that I didn't even shower or do my hair this morning...and so now I know I look like a tractor. After picking Harmel up from work (and waiting half an hour for him to get out) I then dropped him off at McQueen Park so he could launch rockets and have a run-through of the Cadet snow derby with his boys in the afternoon.

So now I'm visiting Ian! Woo hoo. Obviously we're bonding. Just kidding. We went for lunch together and now I'm doing laundry at my parents house so that I don't have to pay $6 a load at home. (RIDICULOUS).

This is what happens when I have nothing to do...the laundry actually gets done. And the house actually gets clean. I just don't know how the 2 of us make so much laundry.

Yeah, that's like 5 loads of laundry! In one weeks! I think it's cause of Harmel. I'm not a dirty person :)

Don't Have Anymore Babies This Month

2009-01-07T18:34:00.006-07:00

Just a quick Happy Birthday to everyone who celebrated this month! Mom, Eric, Landon, Grandma, Uncle Dick, Auntie Joanne, Michael, Corinna, Uncle Harold, Mr. Randy, (myself)...and all the babies born this month! Lorelai and Madeline...and everyone else.

Just no one have any more babies this month please.

The Newest Addition

2009-01-06T12:47:00.010-07:00

This is the newest addition to Harmel's family.

On October 14, his sister had her third baby. She had a girl! Finally!

Her name is Audrey Stejntje Scheidl. And she's beautiful!

Proud brothers: Benjamin and Gabriel

Proud Uncle Mel

Proud Auntie Cole

Meewy Christmas

2009-01-06T12:24:00.004-07:00

Just in case you didn't know Harmel and I aquired 2 beautiful little kittens about 2 months ago. Rembrandt is a sweet and lovable boy, who is always ready for some affection...while VanGogh is a spitfire girl, always ready to attack anything that swings her way.

Harmel doesn't really believe in dressing animals, and really neither to I, but a couple weeks before Christmas my mom and I went to Dollarama and I just couldn't resist. They had small sweaters for dogs...for only $1!! I bought them! When Harmel and I got home that night I took VanGogh into our room and put her sweater on her and then asked Harmel to pass me Rembrandt so I could dress him accordingly. It was the funniest thing either of us has ever seen.

Over the past month we've put them on numerous times and everytime VanGogh claws hers off and then proceeds to help her brother. That is if they're not flopped on the ground first. Apparently, the sweaters make it a little difficult for them to walk.

Here's a picture Harmel managed to snap while they were eating.

Here Fishy!

2008-08-15T12:10:00.012-06:00

This is the newest fad in pedicures and although it's not available world-wide at the moment is has definetly been hitting the news.

Small tanks are filled with hundreds of little fish which eat at the dead skin on your feet. Because they have no teeth it's impossible for them to eat anything that is not dead. And best of all...it doesn't hurt...it tickles!

So go give it a try! Let those little fishies eat away your old dead skin!

Itty Bitty Teeny Weeny

2008-08-01T15:33:00.001-06:00

Oh my goodness!!!

Have you ever seen anything cuter?

My Jobbie Job Job!

2008-07-23T12:36:00.002-06:00

Wow. It's been a while!

This year so far has been crazy.

I got 2 new jobs (I quit one to start the other the day after I started) and I got married (more on that another day)!

So now I'm working at the General Hospital for Capital Health at the STD Centre as one of the clerks.

I love my job.

I work with 2 amazing girls. One of them got married the weekend after Harmel and I and the other is getting married next summer, so needless to say we have a lot in common. Of course we all have bad days, but for the most part it's a great place to work! Not to mention it's extremely interesting!

I'm going to try a little more to keep this updated in the future :)

Happy (Early) Christmas

2007-11-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night Harmel was SinterKlaas at his churches Christmas party.
One of his friends is Zwarte Pete.
Here's what happened when we left them alone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LENGsXmPkvs

VS

2007-11-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

So in lou (spelling?) of my wedding I'm really hoping to whiten my teeth a little

I think that due to my binge coffee drinking last year (okay, I still do it sometimes) my teeth turned a little yellowish (ew)

Anyway, I've decided to take up drinking diet coke.

Does it make a difference?

Wedding Junk

2007-11-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Harmel and I are well on our way with the wedding :)

Hall, church, photographer, DJ, pastor = booked
My wedding dress is ordered
We've finished the majority of our invitations
The girls dresses are ordered
Sheet music is ordered for the pianist
Wedding bands are bought
Centerpieces are done
Favors are ordered
We're doing flowers on Saturday
Harmel's taking the boys for tuxes next week
We've started looking for a honeymoon :)

Wee Ooo0

:(

2007-11-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

I've applied for 12 jobs...

...and I haven't even gotten a call back yet.
I'm giving up.

Welcome Home :)

2007-10-28T08:50:00.000-06:00

My favorite cousin and one of my best friends in the whole world moved back home this past week. She was living in Calgary for school over the last 2 years, and yeah, I saw her on holidays and stuff, but now she's living at home for a few months. It's awesome, I missed her so much and I love having her home.

Job Searching

2007-10-26T08:22:00.001-06:00

I applied for 2 jobs the other day.

Aren't you all so proud of me?!
Now I get to wait for a response.

Happy TG

2007-10-19T18:57:00.000-06:00

Alright, so it's a little late...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone :)

At least I'm posting, unlike some people I know
**cough**Katie**cough**
Did I just say that?

So Many Dresses...

2007-09-26T17:43:00.001-06:00

For any of you out there who are married, do you remember wedding dress shopping?

For me it's still recent. I only purchased my dress about 3 weeks ago. And I still go and try it dress on at the shop probably once a week to make sure that I still like it. And I do like it. A lot. I love it.

However, the day after I bought it I found some pictures of the other dresses I was looking at, and I started wondering if I actually got "the one". I was so undecided and nervous and even a little scared that maybe I didn't. I felt bad and I felt like maybe I rushed into it a little. After all, I plan on only ever having one dress, therefore I only get one chance at getting the right one. There's so many dresses to pick from and so little time. I wish I had started looking when I was 10, instead of 20.

I'm starting to not feel that way so much anymore, but I still bad for feeling that way in the first place.

Tired

2007-09-26T17:08:00.001-06:00

So I've been working at McDonalds's for almost 3 and a half years now. I'm a manager and I get along with everyone there pretty good (I also like to think that I'm well-liked, but enforcing rules doesn't sit well with most kids).

But I'm tired. I'm tired of being short staffed, I'm tired of people not showing up for their shifts, I'm tired of getting up at 4:00 am, I'm tired of woring 9 or 10 hour shifts, I'm tired of being paid nothing, and I'm tired of the greasy smell on my clothes when I get home.

So why haven't I quit? First of all, I haven't found another job (I've been looking!), and I know my wedding isn't going to pay for itself. Secondly, I feel a sense of responsibility, and I know if I left, they'd be totally screwed and they wouldn't have an opening manager anymore. Also, knowing this and quitting anyway would make me feel really, really guilty. So until I find another job what do I do?

I just know that I'm not lovin' it anymore.

Squared

2007-09-17T19:52:00.001-06:00

Harmel was talking about square watermelons the other day and I didn't believe that they actually existed. I had to find out for myself...

Personally, I think it's a little creepy, and un-natural, not to mention pointless... obviously someone has too much time on their hands...and now probably too much money as well. These babies go for about $50 a piece...ON SALE!!! although they're primarily available in Japan right now. Apparently the whole idea behind it is that it's easier for storage purposes.

Whatever.

Bye Bye Momma

2007-09-13T17:30:00.000-06:00

My mom left for the Netherlands yesterday...FOR 16 DAYS!

I miss her already.

I don't think I can cook that much.

Enemy

2007-09-11T14:31:00.001-06:00

Wow, I wrote this poem in Gr.10. And I still remember who it's about and why I wrote it. That's crazy.

Enemy

She opens her mouth
Her words are a knife
The words she says
A storm that wrecks my life

She is a fire
Looking for wood
She finds what she wants
Opposing all good

Her mouth is a snake
Spreading rumors of hate
Hissing wildly
She is my fate

She is a truck
Unstoppable and low
She is a green light
Thinks all is a go

She is a jail cell
Locking me in
She is my death
My life can’t begin

She is an eagle
Watching moves I make
She is a robber

Seeing what else she can take

(Not) Back to School Blues

2007-09-11T14:15:00.001-06:00

It's times when I see old pictures like this that I wish I was still back in High School

(left to right: Nicole Schenk, Pamela Schenk, Jodi Schenk)

It's Done!

2007-09-06T20:01:00.000-06:00

Okay...

So...

I bought my wedding dress!

(that's a lie, my mom bought it)

Potvin Camping

2007-08-30T13:39:00.000-06:00

I completely forgot that I went camping with Harmel's family last week. We had a good time! the weather sucked but we found things to do! We went to Cross Lake. Here are a few pictures!

Central Park

2007-08-30T13:16:00.000-06:00

Harmel and I have been trying really hard not to spend too much money because we're trying to save for a house, a wedding, a honeymoon and whatever else. It's not easy for either of us to find things to do that don't cost money, especially when the weather isn't that nice.

However, yesterday was beautiful. Harmel and I went to SuperStore and bought 2 cheese buns, 2 banana's and a disposable camera.

We spent the afternoon at Central Park in Spruce Grove. It's not huge, it's not amazing...but it's beautiful and it was cheap! And we had a lot of fun :)

Berries & Oma

2007-08-20T11:33:00.001-06:00

Last week my friend Amy and I went out to Harmel's farm to pick Saskatoon berries. I dropped Amy off at her house and when I got home my Opa and Oma were visiting.

I needed to wash the berries right away because I was giving them to someone at work the next day so I dumped them all in the sink (2 whole icecream pails full) and set to work sorting through the good and the bad. Oma came over right away to help me. It was so nice. I don't get to see my Opa and Oma very much anymore because they're gone a lot of the time, so any chance to spend with them is great. Thanks for the help Oma :)

Wedding Countdown

2007-08-10T19:19:00.000-06:00

9 MONTHS

Long Lake

2007-08-09T23:34:00.000-06:00

Last month I think my blog and I had a bit of a falling out...

...I was too busy. SORRY!

Anyway, my family and I just got home from camping this week and we had a great time!

Aside from the fact that we had rain every night it was a wonderful family trip to Long Lake (my last family trip before I get married!!). The days were hot, we burned, we bought a boat, we ate ice cream, we went paintballing, we went swimming, we went tubing, we got lots of sleep, we ate banana boats and smores, we played Yahtzee, and it was amazing.

As for the picture above. I was afraid my nose was going to peel so I took extra care to make sure it was properly moisturized.

(Wee Ooo Wee Ooo...new boat!!)

It was great that Eric and Katie could join us for a few days too. I can't wait to go camping again next year!!

Happy Canada Day

2007-07-01T19:42:00.001-06:00

HAPPY CANADA DAY...

...now this is what I call a celebration

Wedding Dresses

2007-06-30T17:45:00.000-06:00

I tried on my first wedding dress.

It was white.

IT WAS EXCITING.

That's all I can say cause sometimes Harmel reads these things...

Billy

2007-06-30T17:24:00.000-06:00

Just to let you know who everyone is:

Desiree = Charge Nurse

Annie = My Preceptor

Peter = Nurse

Billy Brown = 56-year-old patient suffering from manic depression

Billy came to the desk one morning for his meds from his nurse Peter. While he was at the desk he started talking about how he's a Scot and so he has huge eyebrows, ear hairs, nose hairs, and so on. He asked me if he could borrow a pair if scissors, and although I was reluctant he assured me that he wasn't going "to go and murder anyone or himself with them" and Peter said it would be alright as long as he stayed at the desk. So I handed the scissors over...

...and he started trimming his arm hairs on the desk right in front of me!

He continued to talk about how he used to have an army knife that he could do these kind of things with and then he informed us that he was contemplating going Japanese style where his eyebrows where concerned.

We were all at a loss for words. Annie ran into the bathroom, Desiree ran into the conference room, a Peter went to help someone else before they all burst out laughing at him. I was left alone with the crazy dude!! He talked to me for another 10 minutes or so before I finally just got up and walked away from him...

That was the first of many crazy experiences to come.

The Psych Ward

2007-06-30T00:20:00.000-06:00

Alright, I do have to say one thing about my practicum...
...it was frickin' interesting.

(You can almost see my parking spot!)

I was scared my first day, and right now I'll say that I'm sorry that I didn't keep the blogging world more up-to-date with my day to day happenings, but by the time I got home every day, I was so exhausted that I didn't even want to move my fingers.

At first I'll admit, I was pretty sceptical about how interesting Unit 91 would be, but after the first day or so I knew that there would never be a "normal" day. After all, these aren't normal patients.

I dealt mostly with the doctors, because that's what a unit clerk does, but of course there were patients there all the time, they lived there, ate there, did their laundry there, everything. And I was in charge of making sure they all got the right meds at the right time.

I saw patients ranging from depression, all the way to paranoid delusions. It was a little creepy at times. I'll write about one or two patients specifically at a later date. Maybe in the morning.

All in all I will miss Unit 91. I'm glad my schooling is over and that I can start a real career for myself. It's exciting to know that I can finally be part of something bigger, I'm going to be dealing with peoples lives, not just their stupid food and that makes me happy.

Done, Done, and Done.

2007-06-30T00:12:00.000-06:00

I'm finished, done, terminado, fini, afgewerkt, finito.

No more tests, no more assignments, no more projects, no more teachers...

EVER!!

Sad News

2007-06-08T16:54:00.000-06:00

I have some sad news everyone...

Harmel's baby mini horse is gone.

They can't find it anywhere.

Last week Saturday they went to check on it and it was gone.

They think the coyotes got to it.

It's so sad...

Farm Life

2007-05-29T10:26:00.000-06:00

This is for everyone who doesn't get to experience the farm life...

From left to right and top to bottom: Me with the mini horses. The black alpaca. Harmel, his cousin and the mini horses. Harmel and Marcel getting ready to shot the potatoe gun. Harmel and the brand new baby mini horse! Me kissing the donkey. Harmel and me and the donkey. Me and the brand new baby mini horse. Me kissing the brand new baby mini horse.

P.S. I think the male donkey is in love with me. He follows me everywhere.

Lovely Flowers

2007-05-28T08:42:00.001-06:00

Collection

2007-05-24T10:32:00.000-06:00

That's right.

I'm an amazingly good employee

(See Crew Person of the Month pin)

Long Weekend!!

2007-05-21T20:53:00.000-06:00

Another May Long over.

It was a great success. Between all the driving back-and-forth between Harmel's house and the cabin it was all a good time. It's nice to sit back, relax, eat some potatoes, and light some mini fires sometimes. I wish every weekend was a long weekend.

100 Things

2007-05-16T12:57:00.000-06:00

You might not know about me.

I'm 20 years old
Sometimes I'd rather be at home alone than spending time out at the bar or with friends
I like spending quiet time with myself
I love reading
I'm only 5'2"
I've been this tall since Gr. 6
It makes me sad that I'm only this tall
But sometimes I like it because then I feel small beside Harmel cause he's 6'
I don't have voice mail because I always forget messages right away anyway
I love to go for long walks in the River Valley
Harmel proposed to me in the River Valley
It's also where we had out first kiss
I'm scared to sleep with the closet doors open
I had a night light until I was 16
I don't like to be home alone when it's late
I'll sleep on the couch until my parents come home if it is late
I'll read or play on the computer til I can't keep my eyes open if I'm staying home alone over night
This scares me for when I get married
Sometimes my basement smells bad, and I think it's because there's dead people down there
I have a bad habit of biting my nails
I work at McDonalds
I've been there for more than 3 years
I'm a manager there
I've been to Africa
By myself
I want to go back now
I have tons of clothes
I have probably 150 shirts
I don't have a lot of shoes
I'm in school at Grant McEwan
I'm taking Medical Office Assistance
I want to have 5 kids
I want 4 boys and one girl
Harmel said we're only having 4, which means my last pregnancy WILL be twins
I love painting rooms
I don't have an abundant amount of friends
I want to have a beautiful garden when I have my own house
Sometimes I'm impatient
I'm trying to work on it
Sometimes I cry or get upset for no reason
I'm protective of my friends and sometimes it gets me in trouble
I didn't overly enjoy high school
I have 2 brothers
I'm in the middle
I wish I had a sister to talk to about things sometimes
I want to travel before I have kids
I worry about having enough money for a house
I drive a '91 Dodge Shadow
It's been stolen
It's gotten a hole in the gas tank
It doesn't start in cold weather
It doesn't start when there's only 1/8th of a tank left
My car is basically a piece of crap
I only paid $400
I'm scared of driving
I love watching Grey's Anatomy and Heroes
I used to be obsessed with Josh Harnett and Leonardo DiCaprio
I still have photo albums, and scrapbooks, and folders filled with their pictures
I love to eat salad
I also love diet coke
Now that RUTR is over, I don't drink nearly as much coffee
I used to have pet roosters
My birthday is on January 23
Eric's is on January 24 and Harmel constantly tells me that I "stole his thunder"
I'm almost 7 months older than Harmel
I just did a handwashing test at school (like 1 minute ago) and I didn't have any germs!
I'm an amazing hand washer
I don't mind doing laundry
Sometimes I love to clean the house, or my room, or my car
I love to listen to music (loudly) when I'm getting ready for school or work
I try to drive the speed limit, even when I feel like an idiot because people are passing me
I'm getting married on May 10, 2008
This will be exactly 4 years, one week, and one day after we started dating
I bought my bed sheets in Africa
I get butterflies everytime I think about seeing Harmel
I worry that my alarm won't go off in the mornings when I work at 5 because I'm the only one there and if I don't get there on time we won't be able to open at 6
I won't go in the freezer at work if I'm the only one there
I love watching home decorating shows
I don't have cable
Which means we don't have TLC
I have a lot of regrets
I'm scared that I won't be a good cook
I love family and spending time with family
It doesn't matter if it's mine or Harmel's
I love to play board games
Or any game really
A Sunday isn't complete if you don't play a board game
I've had tubes put in my ears
I had stitches in my knee because I knelt on a heater while playing Hide-and-Seek with my cousin, Steve, at my Opa and Oma's old house
I love fishing
I can drive a fishing boat and start the motor without help from a man
I hate shopping for pants because I have the most massive hips in the world
I'm hoping that will help in childbirth because Harmel has a fairly large head
I'm learning to love everything
I'm trying to live for the day
I want to take advantage of life while I'm young
I want to be a good wife and mother
I doubt myself way to often
I sometimes take 3 hour long baths after a long day at work
I've started loving green tea

Food Fights...

2007-05-14T20:19:00.000-06:00

Just a little story about work this weekend.

Saturday morning was busy, as usual.

We had a new boy named Pablo working on the til, and he's maybe 15.

A group of kids who had just graduated from JD Bracco came into the restaurant for breakfast, which was fine. However, one of the boys in the group (we'll call him Tim) started causing a rucus. Tim began swearing at Pablo because his debit card wasn't working and he blamed it on Pablo. Finally, after numerous tries Tim's card worked, he got his food, and he sat down. That was all fine and dandy, until he started watching us and swearing at all the people who were working, for no reason.

I decided to let it go...

When the kids got up to leave I walked over to where they were sitting to make sure they had cleaned up their stuff (I don't believe that picking up someone else's garbage is in my job description) and they hadn't. They had squished their food all over the floor and the tables and the benches, and their trays, and wrappers, and bags were all over the place.

So I said to Tim as he walked out the door, "Could you please clean up your garbage."

And this is what I get back, "F*&^ you, you stupid b&^%*."

He left and so that was fine with me, I thought he was going to be gone for good. However, he came back in to go to the washroom. And once again, I asked him nicely to clean up his garbage. I also explained to him that it wasn't me who made the mess and so I shouldn't have to clean it up. He continued to curse a blue streak at me, and when I asked him a third time to clean up this was his response, "Shut the f*&^ up, and give me your managers name, your harassing me!"

I told him, "I am the manager."

His response, "You f*&^in' liar!"

And he turned around and threw his orange juice at my face from across the lobby and left the restaurant.

Luckily, I dodged it and it hit the window behind me.

There were about 6 of our regular customers there, and they all helped me clean up the mess, one of them went outside and got Tim's liscence plate number and told me I should call the police. I didn't cause they don't generally help with these kinds of things. I was shaking so bad that I just wanted to sit down and cry...

Of course it was longer and more involved, but really, where do kids these days get the idea that it's okay to talk to someone that way or treat someone like that. I think it's a little ridiculous, and that kids these days don't have a whole lot of respect for others. It's so sad.

Sweet Feta

2007-05-08T14:04:00.000-06:00

crumbling, soft feta

you are my one desire.

upon romane you lie in wait,

italian dressing is your fate.

when i crave, my needs you meet;

you satisfy me like a treat.

you give your life in place for mine,

when i'm hungry and when i dine.

far beyond my deepest wishes,

i crave your taste in all my dishes.

School Days

2007-05-07T18:08:00.000-06:00

Two weeks ago I graduated. Crazy, it feels like yesterday I started, and now I'm finished already!!!

NOT.

I still have a whole semester.

That's pretty lame.

I'm so scared for my practicum.

BABY

2007-04-25T11:56:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to my soon-to-be brother & sister-in-law, Mern and Andrea, with the birth of their second son!

Gabriel Guy Schiedl was born on April 12 and weighed 6 lbs 14 ounces. He's lovely.

I love babies.

Tagged

2007-04-12T21:07:00.000-06:00

Tagged

Three Things I'm afraid of:
1. Being home alone
2. Being at work alone
3. Scary movies

Three People who make me laugh:
1. Harmel
2. Ben
3. My mom

Three things I love:
1. When my PJ pants roll up around my knees when I'm sleeping
2. Taking walks
3. Playing games

Three Things I Hate:
1. Fish
2. Boogers
3. Trying new things

Three Things I don't understand:
1. Why bad things happen to good people
2. Politics
3. Why people need to swear

Three Things on my desk:
1. My laptop
2. CDs
3. A lamp

Three things I'm doing right now:
1. Watching Greys Anatomy
2. Hearing Harmel talk about our new nephew!!
3. Filling out this survey thingy

Three Things I want to do before I die:
1. Be successful
2. Have a happy family
3. Write a book

Three Things I can do:
1. Clean my room (REALLY WELL)
2. Make nifty cards
3. Rollerblade

Three Things I can't do:
1. Not brush my teeth in the morning
2. Go to bed on time
3. Get taller

Three Things I think you should listen to:
1. Your mom and dad
2. Snow Patrol
3. The sound of rain on a tin roof

Three Things you should never listen to:
1. Trina Stelmaschuks lectures
2. People who put you down or call you names
3. Mathew

Three Things I'd like to learn:
1. How to cook really well
2. How to raise children
3. How to have an amazing garden

Three Favourite Foods:
1. Slop
2. Salad
3. Chicken

Three Shows I watched as a kid:
1. Arthur
2. Mr. DressUp
3. Star Bright

Three Things I regret:
1. Not taking advantage of the college life
2. Eating lots of Easter chocolate
3. Not doing sit-ups this morning

Three People I'd like to tag to do this post on thier Blog:
1. I DONT KNOW ANYONE!!!
2. I DONT KNOW ANYONE!!!
3. I DONT KNOW ANYONE!!!

2007-04-03T10:27:00.000-06:00

tee hee

January 23

2007-03-28T11:20:00.000-06:00

Your Birthdate: January 23

You're not good at any one thing, and that's the problem.You're good at so much - you never know what to do.Change is in your blood, and you don't stick to much for long.You are destined for a life of travel and fun.
Your strength: Your likeability
Your weakness: You never feel satisfied
Your power color: Bright yellow
Your power symbol: Asterisk
Your power month: May

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

More in Coffee News

2007-03-27T10:11:00.000-06:00

Alright. So now that we all know about my not-so-secret addiction...

Every morning before work I stop to get a coffee at Tim Horton's because **gasp** they have better coffee than McDonalds...This means that I'm a Roll Up the Rim player! Woohoo!

So far I think I've purchased 16 coffees...and I've won twice!! (double exclamation marks for the double win). I won a coffee and a donut! Harmel and I are both hoping that I win the car so that we can sell it and pay for our wedding and start paying for a house...lol. I think I'll cross my fingers on that one.

Coffee Coffee Coffee

2007-03-22T11:02:00.000-06:00

So I open the McDonalds restaurant 3 days a weeks. Tuesdays before I go to school, and then Fridays and most Saturdays. That means that I'm up around 4:00 a.m. Let's just say that I need my coffee. I usually have one coffee before work and then 2 more within the first 3 hours.

And I'm starting to get into the habit of drinking a cup or 2 before I go to school. At 7:30 I really wanted coffee so I went and woke my mom up to ask her if I could make some and she asked me if I was addicted to "The Stuff". I told her that I just really liked it...thinking about it now...addicted might be a better word.

Is that a bad thing?

My Celebrity Look-alikes

2007-03-13T21:18:00.001-06:00

My cool celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

The Lovely Bones

2007-03-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

This is the latest book I'm reading. It's called 'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold. It's seriously one of the best books I have ever read...and I've read a lot...

The novel begins in horror, the rape and murder of Susie Salmon, a 14-year-old girl, at the hands of a neighbor who is a serial killer, although no one in the neighbourhood knows it. Susie herself narrates the story, from her perch in a personalized version of heaven; it looks like the high school she used to dream of attending, and all the textbooks are fashion magazines. She has a friendly roommate, an "intake counselor" (a former social worker whose reward is to finally be appreciated for it), lots of dogs to play with and a gazebo from which she can watch her family, friends and murderer go on with their lives. Susie narrates life on earth as it continues without her, and through the novel you see her sister grow up, her parents grow apart, and her murderer live on...

This book was so amazing...I would recommend it to anyone who likes to read. It's not really all that suspenseful because you know immediatly who killed her, but I supposed it's more about the chase, and about finding him and about how deeply parents love their children.

I own it for anyone who would like to borrow it!

Update

2007-03-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

Alright, so I kinda forgot to tell the blogging world more about my parking ticket!

The same day that I wrote that blog I received a letter in the mail which basically cancelled my ticket! I'm guessing that someone else must have fought the ticket and everyone who was ticketed that day got theirs cancelled. However, they gave a warning stating that it is the responsibility of the driver of the vehicle to find another place to park if it is unsafe to park in that spot.

So ridiculous.

Engagement Party

2007-03-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

Last night Harmel and I had our engagement party!

It was pretty awesome. We're not really sure, but we figure about 50 people showed up!

Here's Harmel getting ready for the big night! We baked 4 dozen cupcakes!

Everyone's shoes in the porch...I'm sure there were more, I just don't know where!

Everyone hanging out and watching while H and I opened all our amazing gifts!

Thanks everyone who had any part in the evening last night! Thanks for all the presents, time, and love that was put into last night! H and I are both very happy! Hope everyone had a good time!

Parking Ticket

2007-02-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

So 2 weeks ago I went to Harmel's church. In front of his church there is only angle parking, but because the snow banks are so huge, it's impossible to do so without blocking the entire road!

I parallel parked, just like everyone else, thinking that it would be ok, and that I would be nice and not block the road...

I got a $50 parking ticket!

I think the police officer must have been bored because that's a pretty ridiculous ticket...and I'm going to fight it.

Cat's Cradle

2007-02-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

Anyone else remember this?

I remember one time when I was in elementary school we had someone come and show us how to do all kinds of tricks with string. We learned how to make a rocking chair, the cats cradle, a spider web, and tons of other things. I remember thinking that it was amazing, and that that person must be magic.

If only things were still that cool...

You and Me

2007-02-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

Count Down

2007-02-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

Get your own countdown at BlingyBlob.com

STOLEN

2007-02-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

Ok...so I'll share with everyone what's happened to my "new" car...

Yesterday morning I drove my car to the Clarieview LRT station with my friend Amy. This was the first time I'd driven my car (or any car) without my parents. There was no parking spots left in the lot, so we decided to park in the Superstore parking lot, close to all the recycle bins and everything, on the side of the building.

Later that day, when I was done school, Amy and I walked back to where my car was supposed to be...AND IT WAS GONE. I called my mom right away, and she told me just to ask at customer service to see if it had been towed away...so we did...no luck. Amy and I walked to my house because we no longer had a vehicle, and my dad came and we both went to the Police Station.

At the station the man told us that he's not really surprised. This is probably the 10th complaint about a missing vehicle of this type in the last three weeks. They said that they'd process and fax my story across Alberta (there was a fair amount of gas so they could have gotten pretty far). My dad and I proceeded to search the area for a good half hour before we finally retired and went home to let the police do their work.

About an hour later I got a call from someone asking what kind of car I drive and if I knew where it was and why I didn't. He replied that he had found my car in the Costco parking lot after searching for a car that had just been stolen from there. Someone had dropped my car off and proceeded to steal another one. He said that he had contacted the police who had informed him that a report had been filed about the missing car and that they would send dispatch out there and contact me once they arrived.

We waited for about 2 hours and we still hadn't heard anything, so we decided to go and check it out for ourselves. We found the car parked close to the back...The ignition was broken and the steering column had been taken out. Therefore I couldn't drive it. And they ate in my car!!! There were granola bar crumbs and wrappers on the seats! (JERKS) We went back to the police station and they said that there was nothing they could do...we had to leave it there because it might be part of an ongoing investigation. I was VERY upset. This meant I had to leave my car there so that they could come steal it again.

Around 10:00 my dad and Harmel decided to go check it out again and there was the florr manager from Costco (he was the one who had called me) and a police van. My car had to be towed to my house for a frickin' $85.00 (it's only like 1km away). The tow truck driver showed my dad how to hotwire the car so that we can just drive it to the mechanics, instead of paying for more towing.

The police said I was lucky...my insurance and registration papers were still in the car. The theives could have taken them, which would mean they would know where I live, which means they could just steal my car again. Plus they could have taken my papers and used them as their own to get more cars and totalled them...making my insurance go up, and making me a victim of identity theift.

All in all, I realized people are retarded...and now I have to pay for repairs, when I really can't afford to...

My Car

2007-02-07T11:10:00.000-07:00

So...last night I bought my first car!

It's the biggest piece of crap ever but it works...lol. It's just not that beautiful. My mom is absolutely terrified that I'm going to die or something, but I think I'm doing pretty good. It's been like 12 hours and I haven't killed anyone yet! I think that's a good thing...later I'll post an actual picture of my car.

Studying

2007-02-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it!

The semester is already almost half way finished.

I've got 3 midterms this week...I'm down 1, and I have 2 more to go. I'm trying to study a lot this week, but it hasn't exactly been working that well.

I had GEMS last night, and I worked this morning before school...I also got my liscence and registration and everything done last night, so between everything I haven't exactly been able to study...oops!

Let's just say that I'm fairly sleep deprived and run on a caffine buzz most of the day so that I don't fall alseep in my classes.

Happy Birthday Brother

2007-01-24T15:17:00.000-07:00

CONGRATS ON THE BIG 2-2!!

Happy (late) Birthday to Me!

2007-01-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my birthday...and I think I got a pretty good haul this year...

1. A serving platter
2. A game called "Things"
3. X-Men III
4. Lady and the Tramp
5. A purse
6. A scarf
7. Perfume
8. Earrings (x2)
9. The Fray
10. Snow Patrol
11. Some bath/body stuff
12. An embosser
13. A Michaels GC
14. A hope chest!

It was wonderful
Thanks for everything from everyone!

elements

2007-01-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

Your Love Element Is Metal

In love, you inspire and respect your partner.For you, love is all about fusing together for one incredible life experience.

You attract others with wit and a bit of flash.Your flirting style is defined by making others want and value you.

Greatness and optimism are the cornerstones of your love life.You may let go too easily, but you never get weighed down by your past.

You connect best with: Earth

Avoid: Fire

You and another Metal element: will control and smother each other

The Proposal

2007-01-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

Ok since KT asked so nicely I'll share the story...

Friday night:
My best friend Amy Hale and I were supposed to go for supper with 2 of our other friends that we haven't seen for a while. However, Amy had to break plans because she said she had to go shopping for her little sisters birthday present...little did we know, she was actually going for coffee with Harmel so that he could show her the plans for the next night. I was sad because I thought she was ditching us.

Saturday morning:
I had to work at 5 am. So that morning Amy kept asking if we could do something after work and I had to keep telling her no because I was going out with Harmel. Around 9, when I got my break, I called Harmel and he said that he was sick and throwing up, so we couldn't go out. I was kinda excited cause that meant I could do something with Amy instead. So I told Amy that we could do something and so we planned to go to a movie.

Saturday afternoon:
I got a call from Amy around 2:00 saying that she had to babysit and then go to her grandparents and so we couldn't go out that night. About half an hour later Harmel called me and said that he was feeling a little better so he wanted to come over. I tried to insist that I should go to his house so that he could still relax but he wouldn't hear of it. So Harmel came over...and he was dressed in his ugly tear-aways and a t-shirt...but **clue** he had shaved (Harmel HATES shaving).

Saturday night:
Harmel told me that he still wasn't feeling so good and that he would feel much better if he walked around so he asked if we could go for a walk in the **clue** RIVER VALLEY (where we had our first kiss), and I agreed. He also said that he had **clue** taken his sisters super sweet camera along so that we could take some nice pictures!

Once we got to the River Valley Harmel told me that he had seen a recent (more like recently fabricated) Dr.Phil show that did a trust walk with couples down a set of stairs..and if you can make it all the way down the stairs then you have good trust in your relationship...and only 2 of the 4 couples had made it on the show. I agreed to try it...so Harmel tied my scarf around my eyes and led me down the stairs. He warned me that I wasn't allowed to take it off, regardless of what I heard or felt

At the bottom of the stairs he let go of my hands and the song "I'll Be" started playing...that was when Harmel said I could take off my scarf. And there he was wearing a suit, down on one knee, with a ring box open in his hands (actually he had forgotten to take off his tear-aways...but that's beside the point). He gave the speech about how much he loves me, and how he can't see his life without me, and he wants to grow old with me, and he proposed...IT WAS LOVELY!

AND THEN!! We walked over to a blanket that he had gotten some people to set up and we sat down. There were rose petals and sparkly stars on the blanket and a bouquet of roses and chocolates and candles and sparkling wine...it was amazing. And I couldn't have asked for anything better...

And thanks to the "clean-up crew"...Jake, Brad and Amy...for setting up and cleaning up!

So there's the story...hope you guys like it, and I hope I haven't forgotten anything...