The Shinannigans

So for the first time I have joined a fantasy football league.  My team is called The Shenanigans.  Yep… I named my team after that great line in the movie Super Troopers. I don’t really know why I found that movie so funny but I did.  It is only strange because I don’t normally go for the stupid funny kind of movies.  Oh well – I loved Super Troopers and laughed the entire way through the film.  So I named my team The Shenanigans and figure if all else fails I will laugh my way through this fantasy football season.

The league was started by my brother-in-law.  So far it has been an interesting experience.  It definitely takes more work than I had originally thought.  You have to read up on individual players and keep up with multiple teams.  And then in the end it is still a roll of the dice if your team wins or not.  My team has done really well each week, scoring 100 or more points more often than not and I have still lost every game. 

This new experience has been fun because it has opened up a whole new avenue of conversation for not only C and I but for my brother-in-law and I as well.  Also, I enjoy watching football and always want someone to cheer for so fantasy football has been great for that.  I think C likes that I don’t mind watching football Thursday through Monday in the fall.  Hopefully my team will pick up and turn it around this season.  I don’t think I will win the league or anything but I would like to hold my own.  Now I just have to remember to move my little players around every week! 

Weddings, Birthdays, and Ski Trips! Oh My!

Wow! It has been a while since my last blog post.  Every time I think I find a blogging rhythm life somehow upsets the apple cart.  Oh well… I wish I could say I have been up to complete awesomeness to excuse my blogging absence but in actuality I have been working a lot and working on my prospectus.  When I finish writing on the prospectus, honestly – writing more is the last thing I want to do. 

Speaking of my prospectus progress… it is going slow but well.  I have completed all three chapters and have sent it to an editor for review.  I want to flush out some sections of chapter 3 a bit more but I think it is really starting to take shape.  I am hoping to have it back in my chairs hands by the end of the month.  Fingers crossed!!!

In other news my brother-in-law and his fiancé have purchased their first home and wedding plans are going well.  They seem happy.  My brother-in-law doesn’t seem to care about the wedding but seems to really be having fun with the house demolition and work they are putting into the house to make it their own so that’s good.  I ordered my bridesmaids dress.  I guess I still don’t see the bride’s vision for her special day.  The bridesmaids’ dresses are not bad at all.  They are tea-length, black, strapless dresses with only a little detail at the bottom.  The wedding couple decided to save the groomsmen money and have them all buy suits instead of renting something… it has not turned out to be more economical.  I am just thankful Chris already has some great black shoes. 

The colors for the wedding are still unknown to me… the boys are in black suits with green ties and the girls are in black dresses… nice right?  I think so.  But then a navy blue floor length gown with silver beading was selected for the Mother of the Groom.  It is a beautiful dress and I am sure she looks great in it!  My problem is I worry that she will clash with all those in black in pictures.  I don’t want her to not like the pictures or feel uncomfortable.  I talked to Chris about this and he reminded me it is not my wedding or my wedding pictures.  I know I don’t want to say anything to hurt anyone’s feelings so I guess I will just keep my thoughts to myself.  I will just be happy when the wedding has passed and everyone is a member of the H clan and all the nerves and drama can settle down.  There are three big events to go prior to the big day… the shower, the bachelorette/bachelor parties, and the rehearsal dinner.  I am hoping and praying all go smoothly.  No matter my thoughts on the wedding, I want it all to be perfect for the bride and groom – everything they always wanted.  In my opinion and from personal experience… it isn’t the wedding, colors, food, or any of that that is important anyway.  They are fun and will create memories that will last a lifetime but in the end it isn’t the wedding – it is the marriage that is important.

I still look back at our wedding day and smile.  I couldn’t ask for the time to have been more perfect.  We did exactly what we wanted to do and were surrounded by those who love us the most.  But the best part was I married my best friend.  And I have never looked back.  I would be lying if I said we never fought or disagreed… but honestly we have even improved how we do that.  As we have gotten to know each other better and better we work harder to see things from the other person’s point of view and to handle disagreements better.  We work to talk about the situation, not the other person.  Of course we still have some growing to do but overall, I am very happy with my marriage.   I love our plans for the future and the path we are on.  God has truly blessed me with a great life team captain :-)

Some of our upcoming plans include Chris’s 30th birthday!!!  I know it is still far off but I am so excited!  I have already planned it and booked it.  I am kidnapping him!  We are going on a road trip for a couple of days and that is all I can tell you for now (because I know the Birthday Boy reads this blog).  You all will just have to wait until his birthday… I promise I will post and include pictures!

Our other big trip for this year is also far off but you know Chris and I are both planners so we have already gotten the trip planned out.  We wanted to go skiing for our 2nd anniversary.  At first we talked and wanted to bring a group of our BFFs so I threw out inviting my sisters and their significant others.  I really love hanging out with my sisters.  It hasn’t always been that way but over the last year they have really become my go-to friends.  We all laugh and shop and eat with the best of them!  Anyway… Chris thought that was a great idea.  He likes my sisters and my brother-in-law so all was good.  But then we got to thinking and decided to invite my parents too because then the entire family could be together and have a belated Christmas.  Chris and I still plan on celebrating our anniversary but we have the honor of sharing the celebration with my side of the family! 

Everyone is thrilled and ready to go.  I have never been skiing… in fact most of my family has never been skiing.  Chris has the most experience of the kid’s generation with 3 ski trips.  My parents used to ski when they were young but do not plan to ski on this ski trip – they want to tube, hot tub, and enjoy family time.  The kids all plan on skiing… or at least trying.  I am so thrilled!  Chris and I got a bunch of ski gear (jackets, pants, gloves, goggles, etc.) on sale this last weekend.  We are going to this place in West Virginia called Timberline and hopefully staying in the most beautiful cabin.  Chris is calling them today to see if it is available.  I am praying and keeping my fingers crossed just for good measure.

Well, I have to get some work done but I will try and post again soon…  

Lucy and Eva – Bitter Sweet

Last weekend, Chris and I traded in my long time car and friend Lucy and brought home our new ride Eva.  We had been looking for a vehicle that would drive us into the next stage of our lives for a while and when we finally found the right one, we went for it.  But the experience wasn’t without it’s heartache. 

Lucy, my green Pontiac Grand Am, had been my car since I was 17.  She and I had a lot of fun over the years we spent together.  She drove me through many good times and many rough times in my life.  She was always there for me.  I always tried to take as good of care of her as she did of me.  Some of my favorite memories with Lucy are tired to a bottle of Pine Sol, a can of Coke, and a spider. 



Lucy!  My first car - I still remember the day my Daddy and I went and picked her out :-)



One time I forgot a bottle of Pine Sol in Lucy’s trunk.  It was the summer and the bottle busted.  At first my car spelled nice and I didn’t really connect to two… I had no idea the bottle had busted.  But over time the spell got stronger and stronger.  I finally figured out what the problem was and cleaned out the remains of the Pine Sol bottle.  But by then, the smell was so strong in my sweet Lucy that I had to ride with the windows down for almost a week before the smell subsided!

Another memory I have with Lucy is when I thought I was shot.  Yep, SHOT!  I was driving down the road and talking on the phone to my big sister and I heard a loud bang, just like a gun shot.  I screamed because it startled me.  I pulled over and felt something warm and sticky on the back of my neck and head.  I actually told my sister that I thought I must have been shot.  But then I figured I couldn’t still be talking on the phone if I was shot so I started looking for another source of the big bang and stickiness.  I smelled the sticky mess and realized it was Coke.  Then I remembered the Coke I had left unopened in the backseat cup holder.  The warm weather and bumpy road had caused the can to explode!  Poor Lucy!  I spent the rest of the weekend cleaning up her interior from the sticky remains of the Coke.

Once a friend of mine and I were driving to the beach and a little spider crawled across the front windshield.  We both started screaming like girls do.  Luckily we were at a red light so the card was stopped.  We didn’t know what to do so we started swatting at the spider.  I hit the spider, killing him.  The only problem was I used the back of my hand.  I wasn’t swatting hard… I couldn’t get much force due to the angle I was at but my ring cracked Lucy’s front windshield.  The spider died and I am just lucky my hand didn’t go all the way through the windshield!

Lucy was the best first car a girl could ask for.  She drove me away from hurt and towards happiness.  She even introduced me to my husband… in a strange sort of way.  Lucy was always very reliable.  I was driving home after visiting my parents for the holidays.  When I was about 4 hours away from home, I stopped to have dinner with a friend and her husband.  As I pulled into the restaurant, Lucy started smoking – a lot!  It turns out her radiator had blown.  I had to spend the weekend in town with my friend and her husband while Lucy was repaired.  That weekend, Chris came over to play cards and the rest is history. 

I will miss Lucy and all of the wonderful adventures we had but I will always have the memories.  I hope and pray that Lucy finds happiness in her next owner and spends the remaining days of her life on the road where she was most happy and free.  I hope they take good care of her and have amazing adventures together.  I know it is silly to think of a car as a living friend but that’s part of who I am and Lucy will always be my friend… my first car.

Trading in Lucy was bitter sweet.  I said goodbye to a good friend but I met a new friend who will drive Chris and I into our future.  We had been looking at larger SUVs for some time and had decided that the Buick Enclave was the car for us.  We searched and searched and couldn’t find the perfect car. Then on Saturday we found Eva.  She is a 2009 chocolate brown Buick Enclave with tan leather interior.  We drove 3 hours to pick her up and after a week of her being ours… she was totally worth the long drive.  She has everything we wanted.  It’s kind of crazy to think that this will be our family car for the next decade.  This is the car we will hopefully move forward in life in.  I see Eva and I see the vehicle we will drive our first baby home from the hospital in.  I see the vehicle we will take family vacations in and trips to church and soccer practice.  Another great aspect of Eva is that Chris, the girls (Koda and Precious), and I can enjoy the more space and amenities of Eva now!

Eva! Our new vehicle and the first big purchase that has both Chris and my name on it!  Kind of exciting! :-)

Chris named her Eva because she has a nice tan and a big rear!



I look forward to getting to know Eva and making memories with her.  I have a feeling we are going to be great friends.  I know many adventures await us!

New Year's Resolutions

So I realized after writing my last post and talking about one of my new year's resolutions I had never written them down.  I guess it will be one way to help me be accountable.  Some will be easier than others but I am going to work on all of them.  We will see how 2012 goes!

1. I will read a daily devotional and spend my time with God each day.  I want to strengthen my prayer life and my Bible knowledge.
2. I will not take on any new projects - for myself or anyone else.  I must focus on my dissertation.
3. I will spend 8 hours at a minimum on my dissertation a week.  Any hours not accomplished during the week will have to be made up on the weekend.
4. I will get back in shape.  This includes working out and eating healthier.  When my body feels good my mind will be stronger.
5. I will work to save money this year.  We will tighten our belts to save for the bigger things we want in life like a family car, a house we fit in, and to travel at the end of the year.

Wish me luck!

Seeing things more clearly

Chris and I have been working hard on keeping up with health lately.  It was one of our New Year’s Resolutions.  He is better at eating healthy than I am.  I have a major sweet tooth.   I am probably going to be snacking on something unhealthy as you read this post.  But we are both working out and following up with doctors etc. 

We have been working with a team of experts to get Chris’s sleep issues worked out.  He doesn’t sleep well, he is very active, and then he is extremely tired during the day.   We tried one sleep doctor and she was a little crazy.  She had it in her head what was wrong before we even finished the initial appointment.  So guess what she diagnosed him with?  The thing she originally thought… no tests, nothing.  So we decided to get a second opinion.  I love our new sleep doctor.  He has worked with Chris and we don’t have any concrete answers yet but he has started Chris on some treatments and we are seeing improvements.  Chris is so excited to not be so tired during the day and I am thrilled he is resting at night.  I know only time will tell if everything is working out but for right now it seems to be improving!

My handsome hubby and our sweet doggy Koda!

We also both had our yearly eye doctor’s appointment.  I have never needed glasses.  Chris has worn them since I met him.  I think he looks handsome in his glasses.  Well we went through the little eye exam thing and wouldn’t ya know… I now need glasses!  I have astigmatisms in each eye.  It is not a big thing… in fact the doctor says that the prescription is so small most people will pick them up and think they are simply for fashion.  But I can actually really tell the difference.  I use them mainly for working on the computer and for when I have to switch focal points rapidly like looking from a book to the television or a book to the computer (something I often do with all of my research).  I love my glasses even more when my eyes are tired.  Sometimes my eyes still fight the glasses and hurt when I first put them on but then they relax and the glasses help.  Chris says it will get easier the more I wear them.  I asked the doc if I wore the glasses more could I prevent my eyes from getting worse and he said no.  In fact, he doesn’t think they will change, get any worse, for the next 10 years or so.  He also informed me that it wasn’t anything I did like sitting to close to my computer to cause astigmatisms.  It’s just life.  I am really happy to have my glasses.  They help me focus and stop my eyes from getting so tires so quickly.  I am definitely a fan of my eye doc!

My new glasses!

I guess that pretty much catches my blog up to current times.  I still can’t believe it is February already.  I just turned in my draft of chapter 1 of my dissertation.  So that is chapter 1 and 2 drafts done.  I am now starting on chapter 3.  Goodness I am ready to be done.  I cannot wait to have my life back and not feel guilty for doing things other than my dissertation.  Not only that, but everything in the next steps of Chris and my life seems to depend on my dissertation being completed.  I guess I better get back to writing it!